New scheme to identify talented pupils in UAE

Dubai: The Minister of Education has signed a contract with professors from the University of Ulm, Germany, to start a national plan for gifted and talented pupils in the UAE.

The programme - a unique initiative of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance - aims to discover talented pupils and train them to become future leaders of the country, said Dr Hanif Hassan.

Dr Hassan said: "The UAE is rich in resources and infrastructure, but the level of education is still far below that in developed countries."

Professor Karl Epling, Chairman of University of Ulm, said the programme is unique. "I never heard of such an approach. It's a great chance and opportunity for both countries." The minister said education plays a significant role in globalisation since it "brings people together and helps to build a culture of tolerance".

Professor Albert Ziegler, a specialist of education and one of the organisers of the project, said: "The whole world is now looking at the UAE. The programme is announced worldwide as an ambitious and bold initiative by the UAE."

The team, he said, would be targeting the following elements: management, teacher, society, school, and the student to start an effective gifted/talented (G/T) education in the country.

The action plan would recognise these elements through identification and screening, development of G/T material, guidance and mentoring services, internal and external scholarships, training UAE professionals and public awareness of the project.

The outcome of the plan would result in qualifying 300 principals and teachers, developing 15 different curricula, one international scholarship programme, and organising 17 workshops for secondary school teachers.

The plan would be implemented in seven schools in the kindergarten level, another seven schools from grades 1 to 3, and 14 schools in grades 4 to 12.

Ziegler said 3,600 pupils would be identified from 28 schools in the UAE.

He said they are fortunate to have success factors such as experienced team, "funds, national interest, competent human capital, and the desperate need for such an initiative".