Education
in the UAE achieved quantum leaps over the past few years and the Ministry of
Education’s efforts are focused on continuing the process of development to
reach the national targets related to education for the UAE to be among the
most advanced countries in education, said HE Hussain Bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi,
Minister of Education.
Al
Hammadi said so during the Cultural Attaches Forum, which was organized by the
Department of Educational Organizations and External Relations at the Ministry
of Education (MoE) at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Apart from a number of UAE
cultural attaches, the forum was attended by HE Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla,
Undersecretary for Academic Affairs of Higher Education at MoE, HE Dr. Hamad Al
Yahyai, Assistant Undersecretary of Curriculum and Assessment Sector, Dr.
Sheikh Ammar Al Mualla, Director of Department of Educational Organizations and
External Relations, Hessa Al Wahhabi, Director of National & International
Assessment Directorate, and a number of educational leaders.
Al
Hammadi pointed out that the MoE is working diligently to extend bridges of co-operation
with all developed countries in the field of education, noting that the forum is
an ideal opportunity for cultural attaches to share the contents of the UAE education
system and learn about the status of education in the UAE.
The
forum is aimed at briefing the cultural attaches on the UAE's developed
education strategy, which is derived from the UAE’s comprehensive vision to
develop and emulate all the current and future fields of development at the national
and international levels in line with the National Agenda and the UAE
Centennial Plan.
Meanwhile,
Al Mualla said the MoE seeks through the forum to give all countries a clear image
of the developed education in the UAE with a view to promoting the great
academic co-operation between the MoE and its counterparts in many countries of
the world.
Later,
Al Yahyai gave a brief presentation on the most prominent features of the developed
education system under the umbrella of the Emirates School, while Al Wahhabi
reviewed the Emirates Standardized Test ‘EmSAT’.
The
UAE education system is based on several pillars; namely, the UAE Constitution,
UAE Vision, UAE Centennial Plan, UAE Future Foresight Strategy, Advanced Skills
Strategy, National Innovation Strategy, Artificial Intelligence Strategy, UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, Government Excellence System, National Reading Strategy and others,
Al Yahyai said, adding that the UAE education system strives to keep pace with
all the above solid foundations and provide for their future requirements by preparing
national cadres capable of serving the future of the country.
He
explained that the MoE kept upgrading its plans in line with the UAE future vision
by improving the level of teaching science and technology, creating an
attractive innovation-based school environment, strengthening the continuous
integrated education system preparing open generations familiar with other
cultures and capable of communicating with them.
Al
Yahyai also touched on the educational streams in all the academic,
technological and vocational sections of the Emirati School, which in turn
provide multiple opportunities for students to achieve their future
aspirations.
In
parallel with its efforts to develop general education, the ministry also
worked on developing higher education and was keen on raising the standards of
quality of national universities and recruiting the best staff with high academic
expertise in order to prepare generations capable of meeting the requirements
of the knowledge-based economy, he said.
For
her part, Al Wahhabi gave a detailed explanation of the types of Emirates Standardized
Tests, these being the ‘Achieve Test Grade 12, Advantage Test and Baseline
Test’.
“We
were keen to innovate the Emirates Standardized Tests to improve the efficiency
of students and provide decision makers with live and direct information on the
actual status of education, enabling them to take the appropriate decisions”,
she said.
She
pointed out that the Emirates Standardized Test turned currently into one of
the conditions for students to be eligible for a scholarship to study abroad,
join national universities and obtain some privileges.
02/10/2019
