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UAE Ministry of Education Launches Integrated National Learning Standards Project

Program aims to prepare and provide students with skills needed for the 21st century
UAE, April 19, 2014 – The UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) announce today the launch of “Creating the General Framework of the Integrated National Learning Standards”, an unprecedented project under the theme “National curriculum towards a high class education” that aims to equip young Emiratis with world-class skills and knowledge that are in line with the UAE’s educational objectives and requirements geared towards attaining sustainable development and future growth. The program, which is one of MoE’s key initiatives, will determine clear scientific indicators to monitor the progress of public high school students in various stages. It will define the set of skills and capabilities that they must acquire for each level before graduation.
The framework will include general standards and learning outcomes, subject matters that should be integrated into all curricula and a comprehensive list of competencies that will make all public high school students competitive in the 21st century. It will also cover performance indicators, teaching and assessment strategies, professional development and training courses, study plans and recommended manuals, and evaluations, teaching and learning methods and resources.

H.E. Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, Minister of Education, said: “MoE is on the verge of a very important stage in preparing Emirati students to become competitive in the international arena. We have implemented measures to improve the quality of scientific knowledge, abilities, and talents of our students, with special focus on innovation and creativity. Our final goal is to train future UAE leaders and scientists in various fields and disciplines.”
He explained that world-class curricula, state-of-the art technology and equipment, and paradigm shift in education – all of which will be incorporated into the final Integrated National Learning Standards – are essential in achieving this goal. 
Al Qatami stressed that the program will ensure that students – from kindergarten to high school – will gain scientific expertise and necessary skills and abilities early on to prepare them in their college education and future careers.
H.E. Khawla Ibrahim Al Mualla, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Policies, Ministry of Education, has already started working on action plans and reviewing the suitability of education outputs and requirements of some universities, colleges and related organizations to determine the qualifications of high school graduates needed to prepare them in practical life.
She stated that MoE is encouraging active participation of school management and officials, faculty members, business owners, government institutions, parents, community members, and stakeholders in developing the project plan. The ministry has also started implementing a series of special workshops in order to reach the final framework of the Integrated Learning Standards. The first workshop was conducted in early January of this year to develop the standards for the first group of the target students. The second workshop for the second group was held in March.
The final phase of the project work plan will witness a framework of National Learning Standards (for Curriculum and Assessment) for each subject, grade level and classroom.  This includes subjects that should be merged in all curricula as well as lists of skills for 21st century high school students. It will also identify the characteristics and attributes of an ideal public high school graduate, degrees of perception ability, performance indicators, and criteria of estimating this performance. 


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GETEX Spring 2014 Offers Tailor-Made Sponsorship Opportunities to Global Education Services Providers

Leading international educational institutions looking to benefit from UAE’s AED 10.2 million private education sector
UAE, March 31st, 2014 – According to recent reports, the GCC student population has witnessed a steady growth and is predicted to reach 11.3 million by 2020. The UAE’s private education sector is the biggest in the region with an estimated value of AED 10.2 million. With greater emphasis by the government on enhancing education standards in the country, through various progressive strategies and policies, the UAE boasts a lucrative investment landscape for leading regional and global education institutions.  
GETEX, the Gulf Education & Training Exhibition, Middle East’s longest running student sourcing event, presents a host of value-added sponsorship opportunities for international education providers, academic institutions and ancillary service providers. Running from April 9 to 11, 2014 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), the region’s most renowned student recruitment fair will serve as an effective gateway for education providers to achieve maximum brand exposure as well as instant market penetration into the UAE’s education market. Besides ensuring brand visibility to a mass target audience, GETEX sponsorships encompass a longer brand recall that transcends beyond the duration of the show itself.  
A new feature of the show, sponsoring the Counsellors Forum will provide an easy passage for education providers to reach out to practicing student counsellors in the UAE, who play the role of influencers and specifiers in shortlisting higher education options for students. Aside from the benefit of being noticed and endorsed for a study program, there will also be a speaking slot for sponsors at this forum. 
Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), explained the value of the various sponsorship opportunities at GETEX: “As organizers of GETEX, we have over the years, become more and more attuned to our clients’ ongoing marketing challenges as they encounter progressively higher competitive pressures and constraints in communicating their marketing messages to a specific target audience. Having been involved with the sector for over a quarter of a century, we realize that Education is increasingly becoming ‘marketing-driven’. We are pleased that GETEX sponsorship programmes have always delivered great value to education and training institutes, owing to their unique, customized quality of taking into account the specific branding needs of the sponsor and offering them a targeted value in return for their investment. Brand visibility, an event-based focus and instant networking opportunities are just some of the benefits associated with GETEX sponsorship offers.”
GETEX 2014 is supported by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the Dubai Knowledge Village and the Dubai International Academic City. Spread across an area of 14,000 square meters, the event will facilitate the interaction between students and educational institutions from India, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Malaysia, Turkey, Lebanon, Ireland, and all over the world. It will enable over 30,000 students to know more about 2,500 featured programs from universities worldwide. For more information, log on to: http://www.mygetex.com/.