2006
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UAE education needs shake-up
Government officials have said the UAE's education system needs to be overhauled in order to reduce the country's dependency on foreign workers, reported Gulf News. A plan needs to be introduced whereby more students opt for vocational courses. Sultan Al Gaith, Head of the General Pension and Social Security Authority, said that five universities in the country have Islamic Studies departments whereas other subject areas are not so well served.
Admin problems for UAE
A lack of administrative and technical staff in public schools is hindering academic development in the UAE, reported Gulf News. An official at the Ministry of Education said that a study had revealed the nation's public schools fell behind international standards in this respect and more staff needed to be hired. Many schools have seven staff for every 600 students, when the ratio should be 15 staff to 500 pupils.
Saudi uni, new media centre
Saudi Arabia's Imam bin Saud University is to commence a new training programme for media professionals, reported the Saudi Gazette. The university's new Multimedia Training Centre is to start enrolling students after the Eid holiday and its five units cater for all types of media professional. The centre includes a TV and radio studio, graphic design unit, computer applications unit, non-linear unit and comprehensive individual training unit.
RTA fears for Saudi teachers
Figures released by the Saudi Arabian Traffic Department have revealed that 140 teachers travelling long journeys to work at remote, village schools have been killed in accidents over the past three years, reported Arab News. 17.5% off the RTAs have occurred in the Riyadh region, with teachers there journeying, on average, 106 kilometres a day. The main causes of the accidents have been speeding and blown tyres.
UAE students re-awarded grades
Students at a school in Fujairah have been re-awarded the marks to an IGCSE biology exam after they had initially been cancelled by the University of Cambridge International Examinations due to evidence of malpractice, reported Gulf News. It was discovered that a teacher altered the papers of 16 students, by correcting what he perceived to be wrong answers. The teacher has now been sacked and deported.
UAE education decentralisation
Dubai Education Council will take over management of the Dubai Education Zone, as part of a decentralisation policy by the UAE Ministry of Education. The aim is to provide greater flexibility and transparency. A high level of cooperation with the Federal authority will remain, according to officials.
Emaar's first Singapore school
Emaar Education, the education arm of Emaar Properties says it has received approval from Singapore's Ministry of Education to open its first international school in the country in January 2007. Raffles Campus, the Singapore-based education provider that was recently acquired by Emaar, will provide educational expertise to E R International School.
UAE to identify gifted pupils
The UAE's Ministry of Education has signed an agreement with the University of Ulm in Germany to set up a national programme to identify and develop gifted and talented pupils, Gulf News reported. The aim is to qualify teachers and develop new curricula for up 3,600 students from 28 schools in the UAE.
Ministry acts to retain staff
The UAE's Ministry of Education has promoted around 9,000 national employees to more senior positions, following recent mass resignations by staff complaining of poor salaries amid the rising cost of living, Gulf News reported. The education sector has received the biggest share of the $1.93bn 2007 budget.
Intel launches TEO in Egypt
The Intel Corporation has launched its Teach Essentials Online programme. Designed in Arabic specifically for the region, Intel, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, has agreed to launch TEO in Egypt as a pilot for other emerging markets worldwide. The objective of TEO is to offer teachers methodologies and tools to help them integrate technology into their regular national curriculum.
UAE education, budget boost
The education sector is the big winner from the $7.7bn federal budget for 2007 which has just been approved by the UAE Cabinet, reported Gulf News. Education will receive 25% of total expenditure, amounting to around $1.9bn. Security is ranked second and receives 11.9% of the allocation, while healthcare gets 5.4%.
Emirates trains Omanis
Emirates is offering Omani nationals who are set to join the airline intensive English language courses. The three month course, conducted in Muscat, is for Omani nationals recruited for cabin crew and ground service positions. On completion of the course, cabin crew recruits will join a five week training programme at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai, while the ground service candidates will commence a four week training schedule.
UAE teachers need training
Teachers at public schools in the UAE require more training to effectively implement a new, advanced curriculum, reported Gulf News. A senior official at the Ministry of Education said that the new system emphasised skills ands activities rather than the memorising of facts with little analysis. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for university education without the need for preparatory courses in communication, presentation and research.
DIFX Academy, ESA tie-up
The Dubai International Financial Exchange Academy and the Ecole Superieure des Affaires have teamed up to collaborate on the running of joint courses. These include a two day workshop on options, futures and other derivatives, a two day advanced derivatives workshop and several Islamic finance courses. The roll-out of the first course is scheduled for November and both plan to jointly launch a variety of additional activities early next year.
UAE villa schools to close
The UAE Ministry of Education is to close down 20 schools in Abu Dhabi that are based in villas, reported Gulf News. The ministry is launching a crackdown on such establishments as it is thought a number violate safety standards. The schools in question will shut at the end of the academic year in 2007, giving parents enough time to find alternatives.
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