Education is a resource that embraces the world. It has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the changing society. In a fast running, technologically advancing world, education has evolved into a newly shaped platform to accommodate the need to create a just and humane society.
Earlier, the count of literacy among nations was not satisfactory. After long years battling illiteracy, through conventions and strong political commitments, the level of literacy has increased. This growth was not only limited to American and European countries. Asian and Arab countries were seeing massive improvements, as nations realised the importance of education to stand tall in the global race. A close look at the case of the UAE reveals that the literacy rate has steadily increased since its formation. The UAE has succeeded in bringing the literacy rate as high as 93.6 per cent among youth, according to a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) report, which is not only laudable, but also historic. Now, the common perception of the UAE as a nation of wealth, has a nation of knowledge and wisdom added to its cap. Due to this, the UAE has been able to attract many international universities to create a base in the country.
The UAE 1995 census revealed a 16 per cent illiteracy rate, according to the country’s news agency, WAM. But this percentage has since fallen quickly, due to the strong policies of the Ministry of Education. The UAE kept up its consistent effort to increase the number of education centres for youth. In 1972, it had only 54 centres, but this number increased to 118 in 2001. Today, there are thousands of centres.
The Ministry is introducing advanced technology to increase the participation of students in classrooms, and is encouraging innovative skills among students, in order to prepare them for global challenges as future professionals. The UAE is in a paradigm shift in educational transformation. So, we can hope for an increasing number of opportunities that students can avail, in order to attain long-term educational goals.
- The reader is an author and creative artist based in Dubai.
