UAE: Is 12 Years Of Schooling 'Too Much'? Educator Says Tech Will Shorten Learning Time

The future of education cannot be sustained without artificial intelligence , a top educator said. With the global student population expected to rise sharply in the coming decades, AI may be the only solution to ensure access, scalability, and even sustainability in education, he said.

Speaking at a book launch on Monday, Dr Eesa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, warned that the current education model will not be able to cope with the future demand.“If we go in the era 2050 with the same education system that we have today, it will be disastrous. Nobody can learn,” he said.

Al Bastaki explained that the only way forward with education is to smartly adopt AI , more specifically agentic AI. Agentic AI is different from generative ai, like ChatGPT, in that it can execute tasks without much help of a human. This, Al Bastaki said, will make people more efficient, challenging the idea that AI makes people more“dumb.”

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His book, entitled 'AI and Education: When Smart Robots Become Educators' and co-authored by educator Dr Marcel Saucet, explores how AI can reshape education systems, certification models, and teaching practices.“The theory is simple. "As there will be more students [in the future], we need to go online," Saucet told Khaleej Times.

Al Bastaki also suggested that the structure of schooling should change.“I think that schools should go maximum to nine years. It could go to six, but maturity of a human being is important. That's why you need at least nine years,” he told Khaleej Times after the book launch event. Al Bastaki explained that, in his opinion, 12 years of school education is“too much”, in an age where technology can deliver more personalised learning.

One of the solutions the authors propose is the rise of micro-credentials. These are short and flexible certifications that can be combined to build full degrees or professional qualifications.

“Your AI agent will help you move from one programme to another to get whatever you want, whether it is a diploma, a bachelor's, a master's, or just professional skills,” Al Bastaki explained.“The student will learn from any place, at any time, from any device, or from any professor. And the UAE has already started accrediting micro-credentials.”

AI can also address declining attention spans, which typically range from 6 to 20 minutes depending on age. By monitoring focus levels, adapting lesson delivery, and tailoring assessments, AI could make learning more efficient than traditional three-hour lectures.“Now we can teach with the same level of efficiency to millions of people,” Al Bastaki added.

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