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Ministry of Health and Prevention Launches ‘Kids’ Community Program to Increase Children’s Knowledge on Diabetes

UAE, November 19th, 2018 – As part of its commitment to educate children about diabetes, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sanofi, hosted an awareness event at the Dubai Festival City Mall in line with its ‘Kids and Diabetes in Schools’ (Kids) program.

The program aims to promote better understanding of the impact of the disease on kids and highlight the role of families and the entire community members in the effective management of diabetes. This year, the reach of the initiative went beyond the confines of the schools to raise community awareness about key health issues. Continue reading “Ministry of Health and Prevention Launches ‘Kids’ Community Program to Increase Children’s Knowledge on Diabetes”

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‘Hackathon’ Competition Winners

Mansoor Bin Mohammed Honors Outstanding Winners of ‘Hackathon’ Competition

‘Emirati Programmer’ gives young local talents an opportunity to join global programming competitions

  • 4 young Emirati talents win the title of ‘Innovative Emirati Programmer’
  • International jury evaluates creative applications in line with UAE’s national policies
  • Local contestants demonstrate high-level skills in programming, computer thinking systems, digital applications, & electronic games

UAE, November 12, 2017 – H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honored the ‘Innovative Emirati Programmer’ winners of the ‘Hackathon’ competition organized by the Emirates Talent Association and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU). The recognition marked the culmination of the successful first batch of the ‘Emirati Programmer,’ the first-of-its-kind national initiative in the UAE launched to enhance the skills of Emirati programmers in programming languages, computer thinking systems, the basics of digital application and electronic games development. Continue reading “‘Hackathon’ Competition Winners”

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MBRSC opens the space centre at KidZania

MBRSC brings space science & technology to children with a unique and engaging satellite manufacturing project

Dubai, UAE, December 26th, 2016 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has officially opened its section within KidZania®, the award-winning children’s edutainment centre managed by Emaar Entertainment in The Dubai Mall. The new MBRSC space science and technology section enables the young visitors to join a team in designing and manufacturing their very own observation satellite, before witnessing the launch and then controlling the satellite as it orbits the Earth. Continue reading “MBRSC opens the space centre at KidZania”

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Pearson launches School Improvement Service to align with UAE School Inspection Framework

Pearson aims to help schools meet new national standards and embed world-class systems and processes in UAE schools
Dubai, UAE, 14 May, 2016 – Pearson has announced a new School Improvement Service, designed to help UAE schools perform against the standards set out in the UAE’s new School Inspection Framework. The Framework is designed to help meet the country’s national agenda for education reform set about the UAE’s 2021 vision.

The UAE School Inspection Framework was rolled out in 2015, unifying the many inspection and school improvement models that had previously been in place throughout the country. The Framework is an evaluation system that measures the quality of a school’s performance, supporting school improvements through regular inspections. School inspections are structured around six performance standards including student achievement; personal and social development of students; teaching and assessment; curriculum; protection, care, guidance and support of students; and leadership and management.
The 2015-2016 Framework Guide, released by the UAE Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council, the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Training, states:
“To achieve the world-class education system to which it aspires, the UAE must apply a high quality evaluation system to measure reliably the quality of school performance and to support school improvements and students’ outcomes through rigorous and regular school inspection. The UAE School Inspection Framework is based on comprehensive performance standards that define the essential aspects of a quality education”.
International school improvement expert, Dr Brad Ermeling, Principal Research Scientist at Pearson, believes there are four key elements to achieving optimal school improvement outcomes. He says:
“Research conducted through the Pearson Research and Innovation Network has shown that the best results come from school improvement programmes when four considerations are taken into account. These are:
1.      Emphasis needs to be placed on doing the “ordinary”, day-to-day work well. It is often these seemingly insignificant tasks that have the greatest impact on how well a school performs overall;
2.      The detail is exceedingly important – it is one thing to come up with a great idea or vision, but often the most difficult aspects of reform is in figuring out the details that will actually make the plan work.
3.      Successful action (that is, getting things done) begets improved attitudes, beliefs and knowledge, and;
4.      Everyone needs to be involved and school leaders are instrumental in bringing the entire school community on board with necessary changes.
Therefore, a holistic approach to school improvement that looks beyond individual areas of school improvement is necessary”.
Amanda Collins, Pearson’s Regional Director for School Services, says that the new Pearson School Improvement Service maps this international research with the specific needs of institutions in the UAE. She says the Service is designed to meet the challenges faced by UAE schools in preparing for inspection and help them along the path of continuous improvement.
“Schools are consistently looking for ways to improve to give learners the best possible chance of meeting their potential, both academically and in other important areas of development. The new School Improvement Service helps schools to achieve that goal, whilst mapping against the specific criteria set out in the Inspection Framework. We work closely with schools to identify what areas require attention through a school-wide needs assessment. The team, which includes certified school inspectors, then sets about creating a tailored plan. This plan includes face to face and online professional development, policy support, in-class support and coaching that improves performance in identified areas, with on-going consultation and monitoring the cornerstone of the service”.
Ms Collins goes on to say that improving learner outcomes is the overarching aim of the School Improvement Service.
“There are many elements of a successful school improvement programme, professional development, staff appraisals and targeted teaching interventions to name just a few. However, improving learner outcomes is the ultimate goal of the whole process. We want to help create schools where learning thrives and where learners are excited about the future they can achieve”.
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Autodesk Empowers Students to Bring their Ideas to Life at GESS Dubai 2016

Leading software company throws the spotlight on design solutions Memento and Fusion 360 as strategic tools to help nurture and enhance student creativity
Dubai, UAE, March 3rd, 2016 – Autodesk, a leading design software company that is playing a very innovative role in the education sector, globally and in the Middle East region, has expressed its eagerness to help empower students in bringing their creative ideas to life.

The statement came during the company’s participation at Global Educational Supplies and Solutions Dubai 2016 (GESS Dubai 2016), the region’s only event dedicated to the entire spectrum of educational supplies and solutions, which opened last March 1, 2016 and will run until March 3, 2016 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The company has revealed that 3D technology has now become a more common part of today’s classrooms, which has resulted in the discovery that students are making significant contributions to the world around them at young ages. Looking to further nurture their creative talents, Autodesk will be holding specialized workshops for students visiting GESS Dubai 2016—throwing the spotlight on its key design solutions Memento and Fusion 360.

During the show, the company will be leveraging Fusion 360 and Memento as the perfect complement in further encouraging and developing the design skills of today’s students. These powerful and easy-to-use solutions converts photos and laser scans into 3D meshes that can be cleaned up, transformed and 3D printed so that anyone, even the young, can explore captured objects from across the world.  In the US, students as young as 13 years old have used Fusion 360 to conceptualize and 3D print prosthetic devices to college teams developing environmentally sustainable homes using BIM 360 Glue. Young talents are pushing the boundaries of design and innovation both inside and outside of the classroom using the same design software used by professionals every day. With Autodesk’s education business model, there is now more than 680 million students and educators from over 800,000 secondary and post-secondary schools in 188 countries taking advantage of free access to Autodesk’s professional software and services for use in classrooms, labs and at home. The company has affirmed its continued commitment in investing in the next generation—offering free access to Autodesk software to students, educators, and academic institutions worldwide.

Autodesk continues to provide free access to industry-standard professional 3D design software and learning content to students, educators and schools worldwide. The move demonstrates the company’s commitment towards providing today’s youth with the necessary tools and resources needed in helping them achieve success in their academic and future careers. Autodesk originally offered free software to college students but has now also started to provide it free to middle school and high school students in the UAE. To ensure wider reach, the company maintains active collaborations with ADVETI Institutes, Secondary Technical School (STS) and many universities. In fact, the success of this initiative can be seen in Autodesk’s move to empower 16-year-old Emirati girl students to design next generation mini-F1 cars. 
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Dubai Smart Government Signs MoU with KHDA to Support Electronic and Smart Services

UAE, November 9, 2015 – Dubai Smart Government Department (DSG) and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), under which DSG will offer the necessary support for its electronic and smart shared services provided to KHDA in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for Dubai government services to be available round the clock.

The services which KHDA benefits from include the Government Resources Planning Systems (GRPS), Government Information Network (GIN), MyID, ePay, Government Service Bus, Correspondence Tracking System, SMS Dubai, eSurvey, Happiness Meter, eHost, eComplain, eSuggest etc.
The MoU also stipulates that the levels of this support and the priority-based response period should be specified with a view to fulfilling the leadership’s vision that efforts should be combined to achieve Dubai Vision 2021 and the ultimate goal of bringing happiness to customers.
Commenting on the MoU, H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, DSG Director General, said: “DSG works as per a clear strategy aimed at reaching a connected and collaborative smart government by meeting the needs of all government entities in implementation of the smart government objectives as announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, for prompt transformation to smart government for Dubai to become the smartest and most innovative city in the world and for the UAE to consolidate its lead in smart transformation worldwide.”
Bin Humaidan added: “We have signed an MoU with KHDA based on our commitment to employ our enablers including advanced infrastructure, smart services, systems and high-level technical support with a view to improving the readiness of the smart services which KHDA benefits from as well as developing them and ensuring their sustainability based on our belief in the important role played by KHDA in building a high-quality educational sector for the happiness and improved satisfaction of customers.”
Meanwhile, H.E. Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: “This MoU is a significant step towards ensuring the sustainability of KHDA’s services as per the world’s best standards, benefiting from the high performance of the shared services provided by DSG.”
Al Karam believed co-operation between the two sides would serve the interests of customers including schools, universities, students, parents, educational staff, investors and government partners for building a high-quality educational sector keen on bringing happiness to its community.
Al Karam affirmed that KHDA is working on achieving the prudent leadership’s vision for all efforts to be combined in order to fulfil the UAE vision and Dubai transformation to the world’s smartest city, valuing DSG’s role and unique transformations of all Dubai entities. He also praised DSG’s methodology of work, which serves in consolidating the transformation to smart government, reiterating that KHDA is proud to strengthen its partnership with DSG and appreciates working with it.

Earlier, DSG has been awarded an ISO 20000:2011 Certification for IT service management, which proves its commitment to the global IT standards for improving the performance of services in general, and makes it highly qualified for effectively providing support services to government entities.
DSG has recently launched at Gitex Technology Week 2015 new smart shared services: Dubai Government’s CloudOne, which provides a smart shared infrastructure that enables Dubai government entities to easily access many IT resources, thereby saving the expenses and efforts needed to build these resources individually, and Watson interactive system, which employs artificial intelligence for the public dealing with government services. DSG has also launched Dubai Now that, combines a large number of smart government services for 22 Dubai government entities participating in the app so far. 
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Al Hammadi: “UAE is leading global trends towards modern education systems”

UAE Minister of Education: “We will continue to integrate basic IT skills & digital literacy in school curriculum.”
Ministry of Education’s Assistant Undersecretary of Support Services: “Modern designs for schools & attractive learning environment for teachers, administrators & students.”

UAE, June 9, 2015 – H.E. Hussain Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education, has announced that the five principles to unleash the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) agreed upon at the International Conference on ICT and Post-2015 Education held recently in Qingdao, China, are the same as those guaranteed by the UAE’s Constitution and Legislations. These principles are in line with the development strategy of UAE Vision 2021, the UAE National Agenda, and the Ministry’s Education Development Plan 2015-2021.
H.E. Al Hammadi pointed out that since the declaration of the Union, the UAE has realized the value of five principles, namely, the right of education, equity, integration, quality education and lifelong learning, which formed the main themes of the conference. The UAE also realized early on and proactively that it is important and necessary that everyone gets good, equal and comprehensive education in order to build modern, sustainable, inclusive and knowledge-based societies.  
H.E. Al Hammadi expressed his views at the conference where he headed a high-profile official delegation from the UAE that included H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary of Support Services. The International Conference on ICT and Post-2015 Education was inaugurated by Liu Yandong, Vice-Premier of the State Council of China, in the presence of the Ministers of Education, a host of senior educational officials, experts and specialists representing over 90 countries.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Al Hammadi said that the global educational system is witnessing rapid transformations and long-term directives that are directly related to major advances in ICT, cognitive revolution, and the knowledge-economy society. This was evident throughout the conference, where various topics were discussed during the specialized panels. He emphasized that the UAE enjoys a leading position in terms of providing education systems that keep pace with the changing time as confirmed by UAE Vision 2021. The vision calls on the need to invest in science, technology and research at various levels with special emphasis on education and its development to provide students with the knowledge and skills of the 21st century to increase specialized scientific abilities in the present and the future.
H.E. Al Hammadi revealed that attendees focused on e-Learning, and the UAE, as it seeks to achieve the highest global competitive rates, talked about ‘smart’ learning and post smart learning. The country has also adopted a series of development programs that support this renewed type of education in its curricula, teaching methods, assessment and exam systems, infrastructure, and extracurricular activities. These, along with the support of an elite list of educators and administrators, will support the Ministry in developing a school environment that incubates creativity and innovation while stimulating ingenuity. These concepts have been adopted by the global education systems now and were revisited during the deliberations regarding the future of education and technology beyond 2015.
H.E. Al Hammadi confirmed that ICT for learning and other fields is no longer a specialized skill, but is the basis for success in modern societies. He noted that the Ministry of Education adopts what was affirmed by the conference about the importance of integrating basic ICT skills and digital literacy in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools. Moreover, it provides many unprecedented educational opportunities to enable Emirati students to use digital devices to enhance their familiarity with modern sciences, knowledge, and specialized research. Additionally, the Ministry focuses on developing students’ administrative, educational and technical skills that will help them in utilizing knowledge to keep abreast with the latest technology by inventing smart teaching tools, reflecting the distinctive capabilities of the UAE’s educational arena.
H.E. Al Hammadi pointed out that the UAE Ministry of Education, in cooperation with its strategic partners and institutions concerned with the education sector, is developing comprehensive National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systems in order to provide sound evidences to formulate policies on recruitment and use and measure the impact of ICT in education. He also added that through these joint efforts the Ministry aims to enhance the management of the educational system, ensuring compliance with the highest standards of educational practices and strengthening the planning, implementation and follow-up process, in addition to promoting sustainability concepts in education.
H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services, said: “The Ministry of Education is intensifying its efforts to create new opportunities to utilize all available capabilities which represent the core of the educational process and the backbone of development. These capabilities include human resources, infrastructure, educational equipments and tools, school facilities, auditing, evaluation, and follow-up systems along with other logistic factors that support the efforts to develop the education sector and achieve sustainability within school community.”
He added: “The Ministry is focusing on providing professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators and staff in schools, as they are the pillars of the education sector. We believe that investing in human capital is of great significance due to its vital role and that its development requires the implementation of high-level educational practices as well as conformity with the highest standards of professionalism to ensure optimal management of the development process by qualified personnel. The Ministry looks forward to strengthening existing partnerships with leading consulting firms as well as with the universities and educational institutions in the UAE which can share their experience in implementing and supervising various training programs.”
H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi stated that according to the China Conference, the requirements of educational development include good education, quality of educational services related to modern educational and service facilities, advanced equipments, and innovative educational techniques and technology. He said that these requirements are the most important elements for positively changing school operations. They are also effective tools for supporting the Ministry’s objective of enhancing schools in the UAE and making them attractive for students, teachers and administrators.
“The Ministry has approved new designs that aim to develop modern schools in the UAE. We look forward to opening the new schools soon in line with our efforts to achieve the objective of our development plan and keep pace with global movements. The schools will include sustainable facilities developed according to the highest standards of Green Buildings, an institution developed in accordance with the special specifications of smart learning systems, as well as special-purpose facilities such as rooms for learning resources and enrichment activities. The modern schools will also include technical and scientific laboratories that are being developed in line with the requirements of advanced curricula and innovative teaching methods. The Open Classroom is one of the highlights of the modern schools, as they support the objectives of the educational development plan aimed at providing high-quality service and educational outcomes to enable students to enroll in the best universities in the UAE and abroad without prior preparation,” H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi added.
H.E. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi said that the Ministry is aiming to enhance the operational efficiency of schools in the UAE through a series of roles related to administrative and financial affairs, pointed out that the step will facilitate the educational process, meet the daily needs of the schools in accordance with the applicable regulations and in a flexible manner, to achieve the objectives of Q-Scale Project and other leading initiatives. The final statement of the conference emphasized the importance of encouraging lifelong learning, promoting innovative and advanced Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) methods, and supporting the concept of accountability. It also reflected the urgent need for adopting the principles and methods of online education, and activating the role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in improving learning paths and enabling all segments of society, especially those with special needs, to gain access to educational services.
The statement also highlighted the significance of ICT-based innovative educational tools as main contributors in maximizing employment opportunities, especially in the fields that require certified skills.
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Autodesk Makes Design Software Free to Schools Worldwide

Design Software Leader Expands Reach of Free Education Offering to Prepare an Industry-ready Workforce
DUBAI, UAE, December 8th, 2014 — Fulfilling its promise to expand access to its professional design software in education, Autodesk, Inc.(NASDAQ: ADSK) has made its industry-leading design, engineering and entertainment software free* to students, instructors and academic institutions worldwide.

With this new education business model, more than 680 million students and educators from over 800,000 secondary and post-secondary schools in 188 countries can take advantage of free access to Autodesk’s professional software and services for use in classrooms, labs, and at home.
“The way we make things is changing rapidly, and we need a workforce ready to design for new manufacturing and construction techniques. By providing free professional design tools to students, faculty members and academic institutions around the world, we’re helping get industry ready for the next phase,” said Carl Bass, CEO, Autodesk.
Following its announcement of free software for academic institutions in the United States earlier this year as part of President Obama’s ConnectED initiative, Autodesk has gradually expanded free access to its leading design software to academic institutions across Asia Pacific and Europe.  The leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software is also helping schools move to the cloud by providing academic institutions with its full suite of next generation cloud-based design products, cloud services such as the A360 collaboration platform, as well as maintenance subscription for free.
From students as young as 13 years old leveraging Fusion 360 to conceptualize and 3D print prosthetic devices, to college teams developing environmentally sustainable homes using BIM 360 Glue, young talent are pushing the boundaries of design and innovation both inside and outside of the classroom using the same design software used by professionals every day.
“Our students are using Fusion 360 to design an Energy Scooter which we are bringing to market via Kickstarter, and they’re only in 8th grade! If we can help more classroom teachers incorporate learning through design in their curriculum, and technologies that engage students in problem-solving through engineering, students will see how math and science are springboards to careers as future innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Karen Kaun, Founder of Makeosity.
To facilitate the integration of design tools into curricula, Autodesk also offers free project-based learning content and resources including the Digital STEAM Workshop and Design Academy.
“Closing the digital gap in education starts by providing European schools with common access to the same advanced technology being used by industry professionals today. Autodesk’s pledge to provide our schools, students and teachers with free access to its professional 3D design software will enable educators to introduce design thinking into our classrooms; equip digital natives with the design tools to learn to solve real-world challenges in new creative ways; and prepare the next-generation workforce with the 21st century skills to meet industry demands and advance our economies,” said Neelie Kroes, formervice-president of the European Commission.
To learn more or to request free educational access to Autodesk software, visit http://www.autodesk.com/education.
About Autodesk
Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world. Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. For more information visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk.
Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, A360, BIM 360 and Fusion 360, are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2014 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services may only be used for educational purposes and are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the software license agreement or terms of service.  Details and restrictions available at http://usa.autodesk.com/legal-notices-trademarks.  
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UAE Steps Up Efforts to Address Book Piracy in Schools

Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance honors Abu Dhabi DED for its pioneering efforts in battling book piracy
UAE, November 08, 2014 – The Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA), the leader in combating piracy within the GCC region, recently honoured the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) for its significant contributions in the battle against book piracy in the UAE. The AAA lauded the agency for implementing the Middle East region’s first ever campaign against book piracy. In recognition of these efforts, the AAA presented a special plaque of appreciation to the Abu Dhabi DED in a special meeting also attended by representatives of the publishing industry.
Abu Dhabi DED ran a successful campaign against book piracy across schools in Abu Dhabi—conducting inspections to see if pirated books were used in these schools. The inspections resulted in the discovery and seizure of pirated books that were in violation of the UAE copyright law.
Ola Khudair, Deputy CEO, Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA), said: “We commend the Abu Dhabi Government for acting strongly on our call for measures against book piracy, particularly being the first time ever in the middle east for actions directly at the schools. The Abu Dhabi DED’s initiative to combine cooperation with Abu Dhabi Educational Council, in particular reflects the emphasis placed by the government in finding solutions to this growing social and economic threat.  The degraded quality of the pirated books severely affects the students’ ability to maintain the text books for an average life period during the term, as well put unwanted burden on the parents to repeatedly buy the books.  The Publishers put in lot of efforts to develop content of text books and pirates steal these text books without any return to the Publishers for investing into the development of the text books.”
Emma House, Director of Publisher Relations, The Publishers Association (PA) UK, “The PA and its publisher members are very grateful to the Abu Dhabi DED and the Abu Dhabi Education Council for their support in combating book piracy. The recent initiative of conducting school inspections ensures that schools and students are aware of the fact that pirated books are poor in quality and violate UAE copyright laws. The protection of copyright also ensures that publishers are able to continue producing quality educational products in the region at fair and affordable prices without unfair competition from illegal sellers. Rest assured, PA’s publisher members and its anti-piracy teams will continue to work with the local authorities and the AAA to ensure that their aims are met.”
The Dubai-based Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance is dedicated to curbing piracy in the Middle East region through the implementation of a comprehensive anti-piracy program that includes strategic activities like public awareness campaigns, aggressive lobbying and legal action against IPR offenders. The Alliance, which evolved from the anti-piracy program established by the Motion Picture Association in 1996, currently has full time operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, where its Operations Managers closely coordinate with governments to safeguard against copyright and trademark infringements.
The Publishers Association (PA) is the leading trade organisation serving book, journal, audio and electronic publishers in the UK. 
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“School Leadership Programme” Heralded Success by Pearson and UAE Ministry of Education

142 Emirati School Leaders Graduate from Internationally Recognised Programme 
Dubai, UAE, 2nd October, 2014 – The Emirates’ Ministry of Education is on track to achieve its goal of raising school leadership standards in the UAE, with 142 educators graduating from the School Leadership Programme (SLP).
Graduates of the “School Leadership Programme”
The graduating class made up the second cohort of educators taking part in the internationally accredited programme, which is being run jointly by the Ministry and Pearson. The programme forms part of the UAE Government’s wider education reforms aimed at fostering a highly diversified, knowledge-based economy.
Organisers of the SLP have been impressed by the dedication of the participants, who achieved an overall attendance rate of over 97 percent, with no participants falling below the required attendance rate of 85 percent. 58 participants achieved 100 percent attendance for the programme, which is run over 400 hours.
Mrs Fawzia Bin Ghareeb, the Under Secretary Assistant at the UAE Ministry of Education extended her congratulations to the graduating group, noting the inspiring standard the 2014 cohort have established for future participants:
“The future of UAE learners looks bright, with our schools to be led by such a remarkable collection of educators and administrators. I commend the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the participants of the 2014 School Leaders Programme, and am confident that they will lead inspiring change in the country’s schools going forward. Given over 700 educators from across six Emirates will undertake this programme in total, the impact of the SLP on the overall education system will be significant”.
Graduates of the “School Leadership Programme”
The programme includes a 50 hour internship placement at a high performing school, providing participants with an opportunity to learn from the country’s best performing schools. Pearson’s Professional Development Manager, Amanda Collins, says that it is this focus on real-world learning that is at the heart of the programme’s success:
“The internship is a fundamental part of the SLP, allowing participants to engage in professional dialogue with school leaders and colleagues, and consider ways in which their own leadership practice might change as a result of what they have learned. The internship also provides participants with practical behaviours and activities that they can go onto implement in their own schools, having a long-term positive impact on students and staff”.
Ms Collins says that while the programme has proven to be a great success, Pearson and the Ministry of Education are keen to ensure future participants benefit from ongoing improvements:
“A recent Review of the School Leadership Programme’ found that while overall the SLP had performed well against international standards, there were areas where improvements could be made. 2015 participants will therefore enjoy greater flexibility and choice in their learning, and have increased access to best-practice schools, with internship time extended. In addition, we are negotiating with local and foreign universities to have the SLP programme recognised as a pathway to a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Pearson and the Ministry are dedicated to making this programme as effective as possible given the importance of school leadership to creating a world-class education system in the UAE”.
About Pearson:
Pearson is the world’s largest learning company, operating in more than 80 countries around the world, bringing powerful learning solutions to millions of learners every year. Pearson takes learning personally. Our courses and resources are available in print, online and through multi-lingual packages, helping people learn whatever, wherever and however they choose. Our education imprints combine 150 years of experience and include online support for every learner.  Our innovative and dynamic digital learning products and services are changing the learning landscape all around the globe and our qualifications are positively transforming the futures of learners of all ages and backgrounds.  Pearson can boast a comprehensive English Language offering that consists of engaging content and cutting edge testing solutions. To find out more, visit www.pearson.com.