Education experts from Pearson, the world’s largest learning company, have welcomed the UAE Government’s plans to promote innovation across the Emirates’ schools and universities.

UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had last week announced that innovation will be a central feature of the 2015-2021 Education Plan.

The Plan will see science, technology, engineering and mathematics encouraged in the country’s schools, in an attempt to foster a generation of creative and innovative thinkers, and contribute to knowledge-based economy in the UAE.

It aligns with the recently announced National Innovation Strategy, the implementation of which will help realise the primary goals of the Emirates’ 2021 Vision.

In launching the National Innovation Strategy, Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the UAE’s position as the region’s most innovative country, but also revealed his ambition to have the UAE listed as one of the most innovative nations in the world.

Karim Daoud, the managing director of Pearson in the region, said encouraging innovation amongst the UAE’s current generation of students will be fundamental to creating a robust economic future for the country.

"Building a generation of innovators is vital to this country’s future prosperity. The World Economic Forum’s 2014-15 Global Competitiveness Report emphasises innovation and skills as the key drivers of economic growth. It is well accepted that innovation fosters technological advancements, entrepreneurship, job creation and international competitiveness. The big question is how do we promote and nurture our innovators to ensure they are given the opportunities to realise their potential?,” he stated.

Daoud pointed out that this will require education systems to embrace innovative teaching practices.

“Pearson has invested heavily in research to understand how to make the most of the latest technological innovations in education to the benefit of learners. We recognise that the only way to keep up in an increasingly competitive and dynamic global marketplace is to challenge traditional education models," he explained.

"That is why we embrace innovation at all levels, helping teachers to facilitate personalised instruction at scale so that their learners can be more creative and innovative, both now and in the future," he added.

Daoud also underlined the important role a first-class curriculum for science, technology, engineering and mathematics would play in achieving the UAE’s innovation goals.

“A comprehensive education across the STEM subjects is essential for a 21st Century learner to make sense of the world as we now know it. Excellence in the STEM fields can lead to highly paid, highly rewarding employment in some of the region’s fastest growing industries," stated the official.
 
"Perhaps most importantly though, STEM competency is essential to those who seek to invent, improve, modernise and advance – it is a fundamental building block of an economy based on innovation," he added.-TradeArabia News Service