Dubai Too few UAE students are studying maths, technology or the sciences and it is impeding innovation in the UAE, the Higher Colleges of Technology's 23rd annual conference was told on Saturday.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and President of the Higher Colleges of Technology, told the conference that open discussions needed to be held at an early stage at national schools and colleges to encourage students to take up these subjects.
Shaikh Nahyan told staff and visiting professors at the conference there was a need for reform in the public school system, in order to create a more innovative society in the UAE.
He stressed that improving the standard of science and mathematics teaching in public schools was imperative for the UAE.
"Globally we find that innovation is most often driven by breakthroughs in science, mathematics and technology," Shaikh Nahyan said in his keynote address at Dubai Men's College.
"We know that in the UAE, too few students are interested in careers in these areas. Research shows that student interest in these areas must be cultivated in the early years of schooling. [This] ... requires candid discussions with our nation's schools, colleges and universities.
Technology
"We must help to make all our public schools active learning, student-centred and quality oriented. This requires teachers who are well prepared and committed to using modern pedagogy. It requires curricula that use international best practices and are relevant to our students and the nation. It requires technology that will enhance the learning of students and the improvement of operations and management," he said.
Shaikh Nahyan outlined other points for the coming year, such as the need to improve students' English language skills which he called an "imperative strategic goal".
The standard of English obtained by students' who graduated from the country's school system must be improved so that remedial programmes could eventually be removed. "It is time to bring together all educational institutions to collectively address the remediation issue that has plagued our educational system for decades," he said.
Shaikh Nahyan called for colleges to become community centres for the arts and culture by expanding their offerings and programmes in these areas. He also urged schools and colleges to find ways to preserve the environment and conserve energy at their campuses.
The one-day conference outlined a new foundation programme, plus a new academic credential structure and programme design. Higher Colleges of Technology director Dr Tayeb Kamali said the HCT always strove to motivate students to pursue their studies and aim for the highest possible qualification.
"It is necessary to emphasise to students that the door is open to them to study any of the disciplines that they wish and in any academic level they qualified in," Dr Kamali said.
He added that the colleges offered 36 bachelor degrees to which another 16 degrees would be added next year including bachelor degrees in social work, education, applied sciences and technology, civil engineering, engineering technology, chemical and mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and transportation engineering. Other bachelor degrees to be added included interdisciplinary degrees in communication animation and science multimedia, fashion design and dental hygiene.
What can be done to encourage students to take up these subjects? Do you think the teaching methods in subjects like mathematics need a complete overhaul?
