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Launched in 2024, the Teaching Schools initiative in Bahrain represents a significant shift from traditional teacher training models. The scheme began as a direct response to what are termed in Bahrain as challenge schools, institutions that are consistently deemed inadequate by the local inspection agency. 

Hala Al-Khalifa, lecturer at the Bahrain Teachers College, explains the objectives of the Teaching Schools initiative and its impact on policymaking at the national level.

“Our vision for the Teaching Schools initiative is a blend of international best practices, drawing inspiration from both the London Challenge model in the UK, which focused on improving schools across the city, and the laboratory schools concept in the US, which fosters strong relationships between university professors and schools,” Al-Khalifa says. “Essentially, we partner with good or outstanding schools in Bahrain to identify and disseminate best practices. This allows underperforming schools to learn directly from successful models.”

Beyond peer-to-peer learning, faculty at Bahrain Teachers College also maintain direct, regular engagement with schools taking part in the initiative. Currently, there are projects taking place simultaneously in several partner schools, each addressing a specific problem area identified in inspection reports.

“Our five current Teaching Schools initiative projects are improving literacy, enhancing inclusive practices, optimising learning for Arabic second-language learners, delivering leadership and offering an Arabic reading clinic,” explains Al-Khalifa. “These five projects have now completed their data collection phase and are currently undergoing analysis. The next step involves disseminating the collected information.”

Collaboration between Bahrain Teachers College, the Ministry of Education and participating schools is paramount to the success of the Teaching Schools initiative. This is especially true given the centralised nature of Bahrain’s Ministry of Education, with which the Bahrain Teachers College has a direct working relationship. 

“Our relationship with the ministry encompasses its various directorates across the four school districts in Bahrain,” Al-Khalifa says. “Each of the projects we undertake has a dedicated project manager from both the ministry and the Bahrain Teachers College, ensuring close coordination in implementing policies and projects. Furthermore, individual faculty members maintain direct relationships with the schools and their principals.”

The schools involved in Bahrain’s Teaching Schools initiative contribute significantly to national education policymaking. This is achieved through collaborative research, with a focus on two main outcomes: the publication of research into best educational practices and policy advocacy promoting evidence-based best practices.

The Teaching Schools initiative is unique in the Gulf region and is already delivering on its aims to enhance education. A great deal of credit must be given to Bahrain Teachers College as the sole education university in Bahrain, as well as the exceptionally close working relationship it has forged with the Ministry of Education and government schools.

“Our long-term goals for the Teaching Schools initiative involve significant scaling and sustainability,” Al-Khalifa says. “As we move into the next project phase, we intend to establish an online portal to share best practices with other underperforming schools. While the exact number needs to be verified, there’s a substantial percentage of schools in Bahrain that have been underperforming and could benefit from the programme. These will be our initial focus. Ultimately, we aim to extend the model across all public schools in Bahrain.”