THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE UAE: A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW

 The pandemic led 192 countries to close schools and universities, affecting almost 1.5 billion school-aged children and youth, accounting for over 90% of the world’s student population. 60 million instructors had left the classroom. In these extraordinary circumstances, the UAE leadership responded immediately by taking appropriate actions and directing education and academic institutions to use a distance learning approach as an alternative to schooling, while maintaining the health and safety of students and the school community.

Check: Nursery in Discovery Gardens

1.2 million students in the UAE were able to complete their education easily and safely because to the UAE’s Ministry of Education’s devotion and commitment. The Ministry’s distant learning strategy has shown to be a productive and enriching experience for students, teachers, and parents. The UAE has become a role model for other countries around the world due to its cutting-edge technological infrastructure and flexibility in developing proactive solutions and keeping up with changes and emergencies.

As an example of how a government entity and a philanthropic organization can collaborate to improve community well-being, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Dubai Cares, has successfully launched “Education Uninterrupted,” a nationwide campaign aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the education of children and youth in the UAE. The campaign asked the UAE community to contribute monetary and in-kind donations in support of children and teens from low-income households who cannot afford ICT gear and tools, such as laptops and computers, so that they can join their peers in pursuing their education from home. I am confident that this good example of synergy has been seen in other areas where various stakeholders have worked collaboratively to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Check: Nursery in Barsha Heights

We particularly commend the efforts of the 42,000 UAE teachers who continued to provide high-quality education to pupils despite the COVID-19 outbreak, joining doctors, nurses, and medical personnel as the community’s first line of defense during these vital times. They have demonstrated commitment and decisive action in addressing the effects of COVID-19 on education and defending all UAE students’ right to uninterrupted learning.

The UAE’s leadership’s vision for the future has made the country’s education system sustainable and resilient, with thousands of students not falling behind and missing a single day of their academic year. With developments accelerating around us, it is critical that we as a nation prepare for the coming years, as 2020 is the year of planning for the next 50 years. We must generate transformations, solve growing difficulties, revitalize ideas, and assure a better future for our present and future generations during the next five decades.

There is little doubt that the pandemic’s path has had a profound influence on all sectors of the global economy. The COVID-19 pandemic is, first and foremost, a significant health issue; yet, the pandemic has not affected all families worldwide in terms of health. On the contrary, the interruption to education has had an influence on practically every home in the world.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the significance of creating urgent measures to reduce the pandemic’s impact on education, so that education systems around the world are better prepared to respond to large-scale disruptions in the future.

This pandemic has not only shook the entire world, but it has also jolted UN institutions and global financial mechanisms into acting rapidly to defend education, the most essential asset and investment for the future. UNESCO established the Global Education Coalition for COVID-19 Response to give nations with rapid and coordinated assistance, ensuring minimal disruption to education and that no child falls behind. UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative to increase digital connectivity and provide equitable access to remote learning for all children and youth around the world will also play an important role in decreasing the growing inequality caused by a lack of digital connectivity. Dubai Cares is honored to have been chosen to participate in these efforts and to help shape these two platforms. For Dubai Cares, a global philanthropic organization that devotes more than a third of its programming to maintaining the continuity of learning, internet connectivity is critical to preserving the continuation of learning.

As the UAE continues to play a pivotal role in redefining education, I would like to thank our wise leadership and the UAE Government for ensuring a sustainable learning process across the country, as well as the teachers, students, and parents who have played an important role in the successful results achieved thus far through the distance learning system.