The current stage requires serious work in order to strengthen and enhance education in the UAE, said Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education…reports Asian Lite News
He was speaking during a media briefing organised by UAE Government Media Office, along with Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairwomen of the Emirates Schools Establishment; and Sara Awad Issa Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education.
The newly appointed ministers discussed with a number of editors-in-chief and media professionals, developments in the UAE education sector, and the new policies and projects that were recently launched in keeping with recent ministerial appointments, including the “Ajyal Schools” model, which will be implemented starting the next academic year 2022-2023.
“Our aim is to achieve radical transformations in line with the future national strategies and plans,” Al Falasi said. “We are keen to form a clear vision about the present and the future of education, and link it to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to build qualified students.”
The Minister of Education noted that the new structure is led by the Education and Human Resources Council, Federal Authority for Quality of Education, the Ministry of Education, the Federal Authority for Early Childhood Education, the Emirates Schools Establishment, in addition to the local educational authorities in each emirate.
Al Falasi said that the new stage requires joint efforts and work through which everyone, including educational leaders, teachers, parents and students, is involved. He highlighted that the Ministry’s top priority is ensuring the satisfaction of parents, students, teachers and administrators with provided services. “We are committed to re-evaluating the quality of services, and providing a distinguished system that achieves rapid response, and best levels of achievement.”
For her part, Al Amiri emphasised that the educational sector has always received endless support from the UAE leadership, as it is the first and most important stage in the path of empowering Emirati people with the necessary skills.
She said, “We are keen to prepare the next generation for the future and arm them with knowledge and skills, to achieve a more prosperous and brighter future for our country. Ajyal Schools have been launched, to drive different pedagogies within our education system, by offering pioneering educational options, in cooperation with educational service providers from the private sector.
“We will continue working with our partners from the public and private sectors to ensure the development of the education system in our public schools. 5,000 students will begin their education in Ajyal Schools by the next academic year, while the school model is expected to cater to 14,000 students after three years.”
The Minister of State for Early Education spoke about the importance of building a child’s personality, which requires acquiring basic skills from the first early stages. She said, “Establishing the Federal Authority for Early Education reflects the keenness of our wise leadership to provide the right to growth and education in a healthy and safe environment for each and every child, ensuring their successful transition to schools.”
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She added, “While working on graduating a new generation of learners, we need to lay the supporting foundations to empower students in their education journey, from the early years.”
Musallam said that the studies indicate that children who receive quality education before the age of five are less likely to repeat the school year by more than 8 percent, and their likelihood of needing additional support or intervention programmes in education is reduced by more than 8 percent, while their chance of successfully graduating from high school is higher by 11 percent compared to children who did not receive early education.
She stressed the need to enhance the efficiency of the sector and empower the cadres working in it. “We will coordinate with all concerned authorities to prepare a unified regulatory framework, which will be applied to more than 600 nurseries, all kindergartens and preschools of public and private schools in the UAE.”