Schools let pupils down by not taking service learning seriously

Throughout my career as a school leader - in the UK and now in the UAE - one belief has remained constant: education must do more than deliver academic results. It must develop young people who feel a responsibility to contribute positively to the world around them.

Yet in many schools, this focus still appears only occasionally. It may surface in moral science classes, an occasional charity drive, a one-off volunteering initiative or a discussion about kindness during an assembly.

These moments matter, but they are rarely treated with the same seriousness as academic subjects or even co-curricular activities such as sports, technology, coding, robotics, entrepreneurship or the performing arts.

Research shows that this is a missed opportunity. The US National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) notes that students who participate in structured service-learning programmes are more likely to demonstrate stronger academic outcomes, higher levels of civic responsibility and increased motivation to learn.

If schools truly want to prepare young people for the world they will inherit, then service cannot be an occasional activity. It must be a deliberate, structured and visible part of the learning journey.

Moving from charity to service learning

Part of the challenge is how service is framed in education. Too often it is seen as charity rather than learning.

Fundraising events, donation drives or volunteering activities certainly help communities, but they rarely give students the opportunity to fully understand the issues they are addressing or allow for sustained engagement, reflection or problem-solving.

Service learning, however, is different. It connects academic learning with real community needs. Students do not simply help; they learn through helping.

A group studying environmental science might work with local organisations to restore urban green spaces. Students learning about technology could design digital tools that support accessibility for people with disabilities. Those studying economics could explore social enterprise models that tackle local challenges.

Giving students real responsibility

It is clear that many pupils want this, too. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Impact Report, 74 per cent of young people say they feel empowered to address the issues that matter most to them, highlighting a strong desire to drive positive change in their communities.

Schools have an important role in helping to translate this into action. When students are given opportunities to lead purpose-driven projects, they learn far more than academic content. They learn initiative, resilience, collaboration and empathy.

They begin to see themselves not just as learners but as contributors.

Learning through community partnerships

Strong partnerships with the wider community are essential for this to happen, so student initiatives respond to genuine needs.

At our school, students work alongside organisations across Abu Dhabi to connect classroom learning with local environmental concerns.

For example, beach clean-up initiatives and ecosystem preservation projects with SeaWorld Abu Dhabi explore sustainability not simply as a topic of study but as something requiring action and stewardship.

Elsewhere, during Ramadan, students organised and distributed care packages, while our partnership with Volunteer UAE has enabled wider outreach initiatives that reinforce the importance of giving back and being active members of society.

By doing this, students develop confidence, resilience, collaboration and empathy, but perhaps most importantly, they begin to see themselves differently, not just as students in classrooms but as young people whose ideas, actions and voices can make a real difference.

Embedding service into the curriculum

What’s more, these experiences are embedded into learning rather than treated as occasional activities.

Through the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, our students design and lead projects linked to issues they care deeply about, from sustainability and inclusion to wellbeing and social impact.

Recently, seminars with marine conservation experts led to classroom inquiry around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, followed by student-led awareness campaigns. Many students extended this into local communities by exploring ways to reduce waste and support conservation initiatives

In an upcoming MYP Sustainability Week, students will work on collaborative initiatives designed to raise awareness both at school and in the community, encouraging them to think critically about how local action can foster broader environmental responsibility.

What matters most is that these experiences are sustained and student-led. Over time, students begin to understand that learning is not separate from the world around them, but something that can actively shape it.

Preparing students for a complex world

The world today requires more than academic excellence. It needs citizens who understand complexity, who can collaborate across differences, and who feel a sense of responsibility toward others.

Teaching service more seriously is not simply about encouraging kindness. It’s about cultivating empathy, civic awareness and leadership.

When students learn that their actions can improve the lives of others, they begin to understand their own agency. They realise that they are not only preparing for the future - they are capable of shaping it.

Shahina Ahmad OBE is the executive principal and CEO at GEMS World Academy - Abu Dhabi