The UAE Minister of Education, H.E. Hussain Al-Hammadi,
stressed that innovation and the promotion of technology in our lives is a
necessary requirement as a means for development and the achievement of
prosperity and happiness for societies—this is what the UAE wise leadership has
charted and made as the lifestyle of the UAE society. He added that the UAE
Ministry of Education (MoE) made this approach a top priority when it planned
to introduce the Design and Technology subject starting from grade three in the
next school year, to create generations well prepared from childhood and able to
deal adeptly with innovation and technology in order to be equipped with the
necessary 21st-century skills.
H.E. Hussain Al-Hammadi revealed this plan in
the speech he delivered at the launch of the National Science, Technology and
Innovation (NSTI) Festival held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme
Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The festival, organized by the Ministry of
Education –in the context of the UAE Innovation Month– at Festival Arena Dubai,
will last from 15-19 February 2018.
Among those who attended the event, Her
Excellency Jameela Al-Muhairi, Minister of State for
Public Education; H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al-Falasi, Minister of State
for Higher Education and Advanced Skills; Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Al-Muhairi, a
Minister of State. Moreover, leading figures from the UAE MoE, a large number
of students with their parents, people interested in education and experts in the
field of technology and artificial intelligence were present.
The second edition of the NSTI 2018 festival included
a number of activities and programs that cater to the needs of all segments of
the society. It also included new initiatives that reflect the growing
importance of the role of science and technology in achieving economic
development at the state level, including the Family Festival, the Industrial Revolution
X (IR-X) and the UAE Young Scientist Award.
H.E. Al-Hammadi added that the constant support
of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has contributed to the
promotion of innovation in the UAE schools on the ground, the thing that
yielded an effective movement that further enriched our strategy and philosophy
for education. He also pointed out that when we talk about innovation, we must
highlight the pioneer of innovation, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who
has instilled the culture of innovation in the UAE governmental and economic
institutions, to further the country’s growth economically and socially—to make
the UAE fully prepared to meet the challenges of the future.
H.E. Al-Hammadi added that when we talk about
the future, we also must focus on education, which is the sector responsible
for preparing future generations and instilling the culture of innovation in
them early. He also referred to the speech of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council, at
the World Government Summit held recently, and stressed the importance of his
futuristic vision for education in the UAE and the world at large; explaining
that if we want to keep pace development and maintain our achievements, we need
to be ready for the post-oil era and to stay abreast of the rapid changes in
technology. He pointed out that recent studies have shown that 65 percent of
the jobs existing today will disappear in the next 30 years because of the
Fourth Industrial Revolution. Thus, our students have to be prepared for the
future by identifying the jobs that will be available and required, in
accordance with this new reality.
H.E. Al-Hammadi pointed out that His Highness
talked about four themes needed to achieve an exceptional qualitative leap in
education; namely, taking care of early childhood education, the development of
education to raise the competitiveness of the UAE students globally, the new
national strategy for higher education, and continuing learning.
He went on to say that in the past three years,
educational teams have worked hard, like a beehive, to develop the educational
system within these four themes; therefore, we named this project the “Emirati School
Model (ESM).” He added that the Emirati School aims to ensure an educational
level that allows students to compete and excel at their peers worldwide, and
that the Emirati School seeks to achieve knowledge-based economy, which is one
of the most important strategic themes of the UAE, to meet the challenges of
the future.
In his speech, H.E. Al-Hammadi identified the ESM
term, the latest developments in curricula, assessment methods, development of
early education system, abolishment of the section system based on the
scientific and literary streams and replacing it with advanced education tracks,
adoption of plans that support students’ thinking, creativity and skills
through diversifying the curricular and extracurricular activities, utilizing
scientific trips in enhancing student capabilities, in addition to adopting
specialized training for teachers; developing the KG curriculum and working to
raise its enrollment rates, in accordance with the determinants of the national
agenda; adopting future school complexes that consist of an optimal learning
environment and reliance on smart education in the classroom; working to
develop an educational plan that ensures the cancellation of the foundation
year in universities; adopting specialized training; making students acquire
specific modern capabilities; and many more steps needed for development.