Education

Before the discovery of oil, there was very little development in the Arabian Peninsula, and certainly no proper educational system. In 1962, when oil production started in Abu Dhabi, the country had just 20 schools for less than 4,000 students, most of them boys. The country lacked the necessary infrastructure for development (hospitals, proper housing, airports, etc.) as well as qualified human resources.

The discovery of oil provided the necessary finances to improve the education system. This was a high priority for His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE President, who declared: "Youth is the real wealth of the nation." His aim was to use the oil revenue to develop academically and technically qualified citizens - men and women - able to serve their country in its future progress.

When the UAE was established in 1971, education was still largely confined to urban areas, and there were less than 28,000 students in the country. Any student wishing to go beyond secondary education was financed by the government and had to go abroad, sometimes to other Arabic countries, but mainly to England and the United States.

His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai from 1958-1990, dedicated his life to the development of Dubai and the UAE. Having received the best education available in Dubai during his childhood, at Al Ahmadiyyah school, he always held the belief that education centres of the highest level were vital to the development of the country and would provide the necessary foundation for the modernisation of Dubai.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED VISITS A DUBAI SCHOOL

The UAE educational system was established at the beginning of the 1970s, and comprises four stages, spanning 14 years of education: 4-5 year olds attend kindergarten, 6-11 year olds attend primary schools, the preparatory stage caters for children aged between 12-14 years, and 15-17 year olds attend secondary schools.

The UAE provides a comprehensive education system for boys and girls, with free education for nationals in governmental schools, colleges and universities. The private education sector is constantly being improved and caters for nearly 40% of the student population. Some of these schools offer foreign language education for various expatriate communities and follow the curriculum of the concerned countries. For example, children can attend English, French, German and Urdu schools.

The Ministry of Education and Youth has established a strategy, to be implemented over the next 20 years, to further develop the education system of the UAE.

Their major concern is to ensure the development of methods and programs that adhere to the latest international standards, with particular focus on introducing the latest IT resources at all levels. For example, one of the goals is to provide one computer for every 10 children in kindergarten, every 5 pupils in primary schools, every 2 students in preparatory schools and one computer per student in universities.

The emiratisation of teaching staff is scheduled to reach 90% by 2020, in order to ensure that the Islamic principles and traditions of the UAE are preserved. A Planning, Development and Evaluation Office has been created by the Ministry to oversee the strategy's implementation.

Today, every village in the UAE has its own primary school, at the very least and a number of secondary schools in the cities offer boarding facilities to ensure that a greater percentage of the population have access to education. To complete the educational system of the UAE, the first higher education establishment in the Emirates, the UAE University, opened in Al Ain in November 1977, since when over 46864 graduates have passed through its doors. More recently, Higher Colleges of Technology (both men's and women's) have opened in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, teaching Business Administration, Accounting, Chemical Engineering and much more. Zayed University for women opened in 1998.

There are also several vocational and technical education centres for those seeking practical training in their chosen careers. These include the Emirates Institute for Banking and Finance and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Career Development Centre.

In 1999, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), providing a unique education program for all nationalities.

Higher education is also available through the Zayed Military Academy in Al Ain.

Women have taken maximum advantage of the opportunities offered by the educational system. This is highlighted by the results of the General Secondary School Certificate 1999, where female students performed better than their male counterparts for the third consecutive year. There have been many female graduates from UAE University and the HCTs in a variety of fields, including the arts, engineering, science, media and communications, and computer technology.

STUDENTS OF THE SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID IT EDUCATION PROJECT

IT education has become a major priority for Dubai and the UAE in general. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched his IT Education Project in Dubai in March 2000, and it will eventually be implemented in all the emirates. Sheikh Mohammed's goal is to produce a generation of UAE youth who are capable of serving their country's needs and of inspiring future generations. As well as installing computer labs in all participating schools, and creating a comprehensive cutting-edge curriculum, the IT Education Project also provides an invaluable online educational resource at www.itep.ae

The UAE government has placed particular emphasis on the promotion of youth activities, through social, scientific, arts, and cultural clubs. Scouts and Guides societies have been established across the country and they organize cultural, religious, social, scientific and educational programs for their members.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED PRESENTS A GRADUATE OF AUD WITH HER DEGREE CERTIFICATE

As well as providing for the youth of the country, the government launched an adult literacy program, in cooperation with the UAE Women's Federation. In 1975, the rate of adult literacy was 54.2% amongst men, and 30.9% amongst women. In 1998, it was 73.4% amongst men and 77.1% amongst women.

The Special Education Department of the Ministry of Education was introduced to cater for children with special educational needs. One of the most successful ventures has been a self-financing farm run by physically and mentally challenged people, called the Zayed Agricultural Centre for the Disabled, which has garnered international praise and recognition.

From the earliest stages of its development, the government of the UAE realized the importance of the country's youth to its future progress. The government is constantly striving to develop and improve methods and infrastructure in order to take advantage of the economic growth potential that a qualified workforce represents.

Sources:
www.uaeinteract.com
www.uae.gov.ae
UAE Yearbook 2001, Trident Press
Father of Dubai, Graeme Wilson, Media Prima, 1999
From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates, Frauke Heard-Bey, Longman, 1999