Education is a fundamental human right. It helps unlock the potential of individuals to the maximum and makes societies shine bright with noble human values, a UAE newspaper has commented editorially
ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2019) Education is a fundamental human right. It helps unlock the potential of individuals to the maximum and makes societies shine bright with noble human values, a UAE newspaper has commented editorially.
"Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Friday.
As nations around the world marked the "International Day of Education" on Thursday, the UAE has special reason to feel proud, owing to its superlative achievements in the field of education.
The leadership considers the education process a key part of human development. The UAE guarantees the right to education for all its citizens and covers the expenses of public schools and academic institutions. Its laws also stipulate mandatory education until high school.
The UAE is a leading country in terms of the rate of participation in higher education, with around 95 per cent of female students and 80 per cent of male students joining higher education institutions after receiving their high school diplomas.
In September 2018, the UAE Cabinet approved the Federal budget for 2019, which is valued at AED60.3 billion. Incidentally, more than 50 per cent of the budget was allocated to education and social development, with education alone accounting for AED10.25 billion.
Due to the UAE’s desire to provide the best level of education to future generations, the Ministry of Education developed its 2010-2020 strategy, which includes 50 long-term initiatives that will be implemented over 10 years, such as the "School Leaders Programme," the "School Olympics Project," and the Emirates Standardised Test, EmSAT.
United Nations officials have rightly called on governments and all partners to make universal quality education a leading priority.
"Today, around the world 262 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic maths; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable," added the editorial comment.
The need for collective action for education at the global level should never be underestimated.
"As far as the UAE is concerned, the beauty of it all is that it has succeeded in keeping pace with modern educational developments that rely on smart technologies, and many of its universities provide remote learning services that utilise modern communication tools," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
