A Qatar Foundation (QF) initiative that supports schools to deliver education rooted in their local culture has been showcased to an international audience at the WISE 12 Summit – as experts emphasised the value to learners of multilingual education that connects to their own societies.
Rasekh is an educational and accreditation framework established by QF to support high-quality education that is locally contextualised, helping to link curricula with local knowledge, innovation, language, cultural heritage, and values.
And at WISE 12 – the latest edition of the biennial gathering of education expertise hosted by QF’s global education initiative WISE – QF’s Pre-University Education presented Rasekh to delegates from around the world, outlining the model, standards, and resources it offers to support schools in implementing it.
Speaking at a session titled ‘Rasekh and Beyond: Cognitive Research and Global Models in Dual Language Education’, Sheikha Noof Ahmed al-Thani, vice president, Strategic Educational Initiatives at QF’s Pre-University Education, explained how Rasekh was created to nurture Qatari students who not only excel academically, but are rooted in their identity and embrace the Arabic language.
“We strengthen the Arabic language so it remains the language of thinking and creativity,” she told the session. “We dedicate time across all grade levels for learning the Arabic language, and link learning Arabic to real-life daily applications.
“We adapt curricula so they reflect our environment, culture, and heritage. This is supported through Rasekh’s Knowledge Bank, which provides resources rooted in our national, cultural and historical context.”
The session also heard from Professor Roberto Filippi, professor of psychology and neuroscience at University College London’s Institute of Education, who has been studying multilingualism in education for almost 20 years.
“Even today, I often hear teachers and parents being told that raising a child with two or more languages could somehow confuse them, that it might slow down their speech, hinder learning, or even affect their academic success,” he said. “This belief is deeply rooted, but it is also wrong.
“Children who grow up using more than one language often develop stronger attention, memory, and problem-solving skills, and these strengths can translate into better educational outcomes.”
Sophie Roche, director of The Roche School in London – which offer a Spanish language learning option – explained how “this additional focus on language and culture certainly does not detract from pupils’ learning; indeed, it enhances it”.
And Jing Wang, Head of the Chinese Programme at London-based Kensington Wade School told the session, told the session: “When children learn the same concepts in two languages, they naturally develop the ability to shift perspectives. So local knowledge becomes the anchor, and bilingual learning becomes the bridge.”