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Dr Samia Al Farra

International Education Consultant

Dr Samia Al Farra works as a consultant in school improvement and excellence in education K-12. Currently she serves on three boards of international schools in Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait. She was the Chief Education Officer of Taaleem Management Group in Dubai for 5 years until August 2014. Prior to that, she was the Principal of Amman Baccalaureate School for 18 years, which was the first school to offer the IB system in the region.  Samia also served at Al Bayan School in Kuwait in a variety of positions for 13 years and ultimately as a director. 

Samia has served as a chairwoman on many school committees.  She was a member of the Jordan Ministry of Education Council for 13 years, served as a member of the International Baccalaureate Academic Committee from 1997 – 2003, served on the IB Head of Schools Committee for 6 years, and was a member of the IB Council of Foundation.  She is the co-founding member of the Middle East International Baccalaureate Association (MEIBA), of which she was president for 7 years. She received her Doctorate in Education through Bath University, UK.  

Samia served as an elected for the IBO’s Regional Heads Representatives Committee for Africa/Europe and Middle East for 4 years, and chaired and co-chaired accreditation visits for The Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Samia is also a certified DSIB /KHDA inspector.

In 1995, Samia was recognised by ECIS for her role in highlighting and promoting international education. She was awarded the education Award-first degree from the MOE in Jordan. In addition, she has been awarded the “Life Time Achievement Award” as part of the seventh edition of the Gulf Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) the Middle East’s largest education exhibition and conference 2014.

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How to avoid school leader burnout
How to avoid school leader burnout

While the wellbeing of students and staff has climbed the agenda since the pandemic, the wellbeing of school leaders is still a low priority. This is short-sighted as research shows the quality of headteacher and principal wellbeing can have a significant impact on school effectiveness. Dr Helen Kelly shares practical advice on how school leaders can work to avoid burnout. Read more

Reclaiming hope
Reclaiming hope

Centred in community, inspiration and action, the Festival of Hope is an initiative created by the International Baccalaureate (IB) that aims to create spaces for millions of young people to speak up and turn complex challenges into positive action and hope. This article gives insight into the lives of students at UWC Atlantic College (AC) and their exploration of the concept of hope as they worked with the IB to host the Festival of Hope in Wales. Read more

What the pandemic taught us about wellbeing
What the pandemic taught us about wellbeing

Being a teacher isn't easy. Schools set high standards for educators to provide superb instruction and nurturing pastoral care, fully engage in campus life and communicate with many stakeholders. As such, it is essential for school leaders to prioritise faculty wellbeing, which Robbie Shields is here to tell us all about. Read more

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