Why is it important to ensure that the education system encourages pupils to develop a passion for, and perform well in, maths and science? Because these subjects are the engines of society. They power a country’s economic progress by nurturing competitive innovation and expanding the job market.
Our present-day lifestyles, the products we use and the facilities we enjoy are all underpinned by scientific and mathematical skills and the more a country is able to market its own innovation, the sharper the edge it has on others. In urging the UAE to raise the standards in these disciplines, which are part of the STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics) subjects, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is motivating the country to blaze its own trail in keeping with its national goals’ agenda by 2021. One way of knowing that this target is being achieved is if the UAE secures itself a place among the 15 highest performing nations in international assessments such as Trends in International Mathematics and Study (TIMSS). This will confirm that its young human capital can be counted upon to shape a better tomorrow.
