“Quality education has become a national requirement
and is a pillar for the UAE to continue to make great strides, secure a leading
place and build man. Nearly four years after we have established and applied the
rules of the education system as embodied in the ‘Emirati School’, we have noticed
that our students’ performance has improved. We have come to this conclusion
through feedback and such important indicators as the enrolment of students in
the UAE public universities directly and without any prior requirements. This confirms
that we are on the right track”, HE Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education,
said.
This came during a meeting held by Al Hammadi with Al Ain
residents in Al Tawyeen Council yesterday during which he discussed education
issues and updates with parents, officials and specialists in line with the
Ministry of Education’s vision to bolster communication among educational
leaders and the segments of the society. During the meeting, Al Hammadi also
stressed the importance of developing education and highlighted the future orientation
of education, the consequential changes and how the current education system
can build students and provide them with 21st century skills.
The meeting was attended by HE Suhail Bin Mohammed
Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry, HE Lieutenant General
Saeed Al Rumaithi, Chairman of Al Towayya Council, HE Dr. Hamad Al Yahyai,
Assistant Undersecretary of Curriculum and Assessment Sector, and a number of
Al Ain residents.
At the beginning of the meeting, Al Hammadi thanked Al
Towayya Council for hosting him, valuing the attention paid by its chairman and
board members to bolster communication frameworks. The council is a connecting link
with the community and the people of the region, who proved to be interested in
and keen on developing education and were aware of the importance of this
project, he said.
“In line with the vision of its wise leadership, the
UAE has set strategic agendas, indicators and plans and a future vision in the
21st century which we must keep up with. We are at a crossroads,
where we are to be or not to be. There is no place for the impossible in the
dictionary of the UAE, which can accept no slowdown in work in the era of
globalization, technology and the fourth industrial revolution” Al Hammadi said.
“The ambition and will of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin
Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, are still present in the UAE leadership
and people. It is no secret that knowledge and the will of people are behind
the progress of countries because education is the future bet and our goal is
to attain the highest ranks of education”, he added.
Al Hammadi explained that the UAE’s current orientation
is to move into the era of knowledge-based economy, invest in human beings and
pave the way for them to attain academic qualifications, noting that this would
mark the export of the last barrel of oil, this being the wealth that would be
replaced by the Emiratis’ thought, knowledge and skills.
“Parents constitute an important and integral part of our
success in developing education. Their support, understanding, motivation and
encouragement of our students is the most important factor for the success of
education. This meeting is aimed at deepening our communication and helping us understand
the importance of this stage. We look forward to parents contributing more to
the success and development of education by following up the academic study of
their children, ensuring their school attendance and motivating them to take
part in school activities”, he said.
“Parents’ concern is the focus of my attention because
I am a parent after all and we all want to celebrate the success and academic
excellence of our students as our goal is to provide the best teaching and
learning environment for them to innovate, compete and achieve progress and
academic excellence”, he added.
Underlining the importance of developing education to
cope with the UAE aspirations and the directives of the wise leadership, this
being a strategic issue emanating from the UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071,
Al Hammadi explained that in order to achieve progress in all sectors, the
level and outputs of education should be improved in a changing world, a
knowledge based future and a completely different job market where new jobs
would be created and others would disappear.
He pointed out that education was affected by a
radical, comprehensive and integrated change, which was the result of
collective work in partnership with national institutions and major think tanks
worldwide in line with the best global models and leading experiences in the
world. The goal was to create a national education system capable of empowering
students to acquire the advanced future knowledge and skills, competition
globally and have the ability to achieve progress in higher education, majoring
in significant academic disciplines with a view to accelerating the transition
to a sustainable knowledge-based economy, he said.
“Change always has supporters and opponents, but we
want the community to understand the future returns that the development of
education will bring to our students and how make leaders and highly qualified national
cadres to lead the process of construction and development. This ambition can never
be achieved as long as our education is traditional and stereotypical with no
added value”, he said.
The UAE education system was based on global,
integrated standards, where students were linked to the tools and updates of technology,
artificial intelligence, 21st century skills and innovation and a
stimulating environment of activities and practical application was provided,
he said. Students were also linked to think
tanks worldwide through exploratory trips, while great attention was paid to
the moral side and the UAE original values, he added.
“This goal was achieved through education streams and
curricula that support our vision for students to be armed with the Emirati
School features and have the opportunity to join the university without any
gaps or obstacles that they used to face. These gaps have been bridged in the
current education system”, he said.
The fruits of years of changed education are now ripe
for the Emirati School students as seen in their ability to compete globally
and come with educational achievements in international assemblies, he said,
adding that the students became
proficient in contemporary sciences and do not find any difficulties in
enrolling in universities directly, this being a great a great and encouraging
sign of the development of education in the UAE.
The beginning are always worrying for some and
difficult for others but the global development, knowledge revolution and
transition to knowledge-based economy requires courage in making a change and
keeping pace with it by providing an excellent education system, while building
a generation armed with science and skills, which is inevitable, he said,
noting that the philosophy of the Ministry of Education is based on quality education
outputs and building empowered and responsible generations committed to the
Emirati original values.
There are many experiences by such countries that have
developed their education systems as Finland, Singapore and Japan, which are
reaping today the fruits of their developed education after years of patience, diligence
and constant change and planning. We want these countries to be the example
that we should follow”, Al Hammadi said.
Later, Al Hammadi briefed the audience on the development
of the Emirati School together with the changes introduced and the important
quantum leap made in the UAE education system to empower students. He also
listened to the attendees’ comments and answered their inquiries. He affirmed
that change and development would continue and that he supports parents and their
understanding of the future deadlines and the stage requirements. Stressing the
importance for education in the UAE to be number one globally. He affirmed that
the UAE is capable of overcoming challenges and achieve its aspirations to be
at the forefront of countries in terms of education by putting students and
their interest above all considerations.
03/11/2019