Emphasis On National Identity, Modern Skills In Qatar's Education Road Map

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has chalked out 13 initiatives to further develop the country's education system and meet the emerging challenges in education. 

Four of the initiatives are being implemented this week.

“Based on four basic axis including student, school, teacher and the ministry, we have launched four initiatives related to each axis to develop the education system during the next 8 years, under the Qatar National Vision 2030,” said Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi.

These initiatives include Madrasati Mujtami (My school is my community) for students, Bedaya Muwaffaqa (good beginning) for teachers, Nahwa Al Tamayyuz (Towards excellence) for schools, and Qadat Al Tageer Al Madrasi (School Leadership) for the Ministry, which will help implement the other three initiatives.

The Minister, speaking at Qatar Foundation's Education City Speaker Series Bel Arabi, emphasised the importance of protecting national identity of Qatar's young people from“cultural dissolution” in the information age, and equipping students with 21st Century skills. During the event at Qatar National Library, held in collaboration with the Ministry, Al Nuaimi spoke about how Qatar's e-learning strategy aims to improve students' digital skills and“stimulate their curiosity in modern methods of learning”, and the process of shaping the nation's education roadmap for the next eight years. 

The Minister also announced the 'My Skills, My Future' initiative, which is currently in its planning stage, and is aimed at supporting students to develop technological and communication skills through curricula and education camps, enabling them to meet the challenges of the labour market.

It is one of 13 initiatives as part of the Ministry's strategic plan for education, four of which were unveiled this week.

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“Education is a great responsibility that rests on everyone's shoulders. Let's work together to keep the torch of learning glowing and make Qatar a beacon of science, knowledge, and peace in the world.”

The discussion, which took place in Arabic, saw Al Nuaimi say:“It is imperative for us to have policies and frameworks in place to protect our young people and their national identity from cultural dissolution amid the unprecedented flow of information that comes to them across all communication channels.“Our national and local identity and our culture — inspired by our religion, our customs and traditions, and our Arabic language — is the foundation of this. It is at the core of building the Qatari personality, which is rooted in our values while at the same time being open to the world.”

The Minister told the event that educating children and young people“is no longer confined to sciences, or gaining knowledge”, saying:“Human skills are very important in dealing with the challenges of life.

“That is why we have focused on developing our students' 21st Century skills, encouraging them to think in a critical way which will help them transition smoothly to higher education, and then to be competitive in the regional and international labour market while being aware of the needs of this market.”

She told the audience how Qatar's strategic direction for education places students at its core“so they can seek lifelong learning provided by education, flexibility, curiosity, passion, and creativity”, with a focus on teachers as“role models” who“inspire and empower themselves to achieve excellence”. She explained how the views of both students and teachers had been sought in shaping Qatar's e-learning strategy, and described schools as being“a student's second home, and they need to feel they belong there in order to grow”.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Al Nuaimi said, has cemented a“global belief in the need to reimagine education systems, today and tomorrow”, as she said:“Transformation in education is now a reality, and we need to adopt the idea of reimagining education and develop new visions, perceptions, and directions.”

Ahead of the Transforming Education Summit at the United Nations in New York this month, Qatar has been at the forefront of discussions with education leaders in the Middle East and Asia on addressing the main topics surrounding reimagining education.

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