DUBAI Access to education is the gateway to a nation’s progress and the UAE’s founding father Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s abiding belief in education’s ability to unlock the door to the future led to a transformation that is today the pride of the country.
Shaikh Zayed worked to put in place the requisites of a strong education sector.
In 1972, a federal law made education free and compulsory up to the primary level. Free education was offered to everyone, including the children of Arab expatriates.
A range of accredited institutions was established that today are the leading lights in the sector. The UAE University, founded in 1976, was the first institution offering higher education to nationals planning to play an active role in the development of the country. The first academic year of 1977-78 saw 502 students enrolled and 52 faculty members employed.
The Higher Colleges of Technology followed in 1988 and the Zayed University in 1998.
Shaikh Zayed also built schools such as the The Shaikh Zayed Private Academy for girls and boys in 2000 and learning centres all over the country and the recruitment of teachers from other Arab countries to provide education to the younger generations.
Under Shaikh Zayed’s instructions and from his strong belief in the importance of having a literate population, adult education was offered to every citizen who had missed the opportunity.
As a result of this strategy, the overall illiteracy in the country dropped tremendously over the years. Today, the UAE has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and its illiteracy rate has been less than one per cent since 2014.
These impressive achievements for a nation that is only 47 years old are the result of the determination of Shaikh Zayed, who envisioned for his people a future underpinned by the strength of education and literacy, innovation, the spirit of inquiry and humanitarian ideals.
