8. Establish a culture of innovation in an institutional
working environment.
The education system in UAE is similar to other countries
and consists of the following stages (Ministry of Education,
2018).
1. The general education (K-12 Programs)
The first objective of MOE in the UAE is to transform the (K
to 12) programs so that it ensures that the students are fully
prepared to attend universities in UAE as well as those
around the world and compete in the global marketplace.
The education system in UAE focuses on better preparation,
greater accountability, higher standards, and improved professionalism. Rote learning instruction is being replaced by
more interactive forms of learning, in addition English language education was integrated into other subjects, such as
math and science. This stage is supervised by many
authorities including the Abu Dhabi Education Council
(ADEC), the Dubai Education Council (DEC), the Sharjah
Education Council, in addition to the UAE Ministry of
Education, at the national and federation level. For each of
the above-mentioned entities there are specific tasks to
reform the educational program in the UAE and preserving
local traditions, principles, and the cultural identity of the
country.
This stage includes the preschool, primary (6 years),
middle (3 years), and secondary (3 years) schools. The primary education is compulsory and free for all the residents
while all stages including the higher education are free for
the citizens of the UAE. There are two types of secondary
schools, the first is the ordinary secondary, that is, schools
teach academic subjects ended by secondary school certificate, which allow students who pass the exams to be
enrolled in universities. The second is the technical secondary schools (specific skill) offering a technical secondary
diploma which can help in the labor market.
UAE signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and enforced by
Federal Law 29/2006 so that to guarantee rights for people
with special needs and provide them with the needed education and learning services being in the center of the education process. In addition, efforts are made to include
special needs students in mainstream educational settings.
Nowadays, the total schools in UAE are 1226, out of them
659 schools are public, and the rest are private schools. The
total number of students at the general education is around
one million students (73.6% of total students are
non-national students). This means that UAE contributes to
the developments of other nations around the world as there
is a high percentage of non-national students in all levels of
education in UAE as a result of the non-citizen workforce
and their families residence in the state and contributing to
the prosperous development of the UAE.
2. The Higher Education
As a result of the policy adopted and implemented by the
federal and local governments (as mentioned earlier in this
study) and established special universities’ zones (Dubai
Knowledge Village and Academic City), UAE becomes a
home of wide range of public and private universities. Many
international universities have established campuses and/or
programs in the UAE, and well-known universities established branches in UAE such as The Sorbonne, Johns
Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, New York
University, the University of Washington, Boston University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
The government of UAE offers free higher education for
UAE citizens in public institutions and universities. The rate
of enrollments at higher education level is the highest than
that in the world. Statistics show that 95% of female and
80% of male in the final year of secondary school apply for
admission and gets enrolled in tertiary (higher) education
institutions and universities. In addition, technical education
is provided by government through training and applied
technology instructions, which is on the top of the priories of
the education system of UAE.
There are many well-known centers such as the Center of
Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT)
founded in 1997, and other vocational and technical educational centers are sponsored by the Emirates Institute for
Banking and Finance, Dubai School of Government, Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace and Academic Studies,
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Career Development
Center, Petroleum Institute. Vocational education is provided by national qualifications authority which mandate is
to coordinate the efforts of a network of vocational skills
training centers throughout UAE in order to ensure the
quality of outcomes of those institutions with assignment in
accordance with UAE national priorities.
4.2 Higher Education Quality
To ensure that tertiary education institutions (colleges and
universities) in UAE operate at international levels of quality, that the students, graduates, and the public are confident
that licensed institutions and accredited programs will provide the needed quality of higher education that they expect
and deserve. UAE established The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which is the Federal Government Quality Assurance Agency belonging to the Ministry
The Impacts of Education on the Sustainable Development …
273
working environment.
The education system in UAE is similar to other countries
and consists of the following stages (Ministry of Education,
2018).
1. The general education (K-12 Programs)
The first objective of MOE in the UAE is to transform the (K
to 12) programs so that it ensures that the students are fully
prepared to attend universities in UAE as well as those
around the world and compete in the global marketplace.
The education system in UAE focuses on better preparation,
greater accountability, higher standards, and improved professionalism. Rote learning instruction is being replaced by
more interactive forms of learning, in addition English language education was integrated into other subjects, such as
math and science. This stage is supervised by many
authorities including the Abu Dhabi Education Council
(ADEC), the Dubai Education Council (DEC), the Sharjah
Education Council, in addition to the UAE Ministry of
Education, at the national and federation level. For each of
the above-mentioned entities there are specific tasks to
reform the educational program in the UAE and preserving
local traditions, principles, and the cultural identity of the
country.
This stage includes the preschool, primary (6 years),
middle (3 years), and secondary (3 years) schools. The primary education is compulsory and free for all the residents
while all stages including the higher education are free for
the citizens of the UAE. There are two types of secondary
schools, the first is the ordinary secondary, that is, schools
teach academic subjects ended by secondary school certificate, which allow students who pass the exams to be
enrolled in universities. The second is the technical secondary schools (specific skill) offering a technical secondary
diploma which can help in the labor market.
UAE signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and enforced by
Federal Law 29/2006 so that to guarantee rights for people
with special needs and provide them with the needed education and learning services being in the center of the education process. In addition, efforts are made to include
special needs students in mainstream educational settings.
Nowadays, the total schools in UAE are 1226, out of them
659 schools are public, and the rest are private schools. The
total number of students at the general education is around
one million students (73.6% of total students are
non-national students). This means that UAE contributes to
the developments of other nations around the world as there
is a high percentage of non-national students in all levels of
education in UAE as a result of the non-citizen workforce
and their families residence in the state and contributing to
the prosperous development of the UAE.
2. The Higher Education
As a result of the policy adopted and implemented by the
federal and local governments (as mentioned earlier in this
study) and established special universities’ zones (Dubai
Knowledge Village and Academic City), UAE becomes a
home of wide range of public and private universities. Many
international universities have established campuses and/or
programs in the UAE, and well-known universities established branches in UAE such as The Sorbonne, Johns
Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, New York
University, the University of Washington, Boston University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
The government of UAE offers free higher education for
UAE citizens in public institutions and universities. The rate
of enrollments at higher education level is the highest than
that in the world. Statistics show that 95% of female and
80% of male in the final year of secondary school apply for
admission and gets enrolled in tertiary (higher) education
institutions and universities. In addition, technical education
is provided by government through training and applied
technology instructions, which is on the top of the priories of
the education system of UAE.
There are many well-known centers such as the Center of
Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT)
founded in 1997, and other vocational and technical educational centers are sponsored by the Emirates Institute for
Banking and Finance, Dubai School of Government, Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace and Academic Studies,
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Career Development
Center, Petroleum Institute. Vocational education is provided by national qualifications authority which mandate is
to coordinate the efforts of a network of vocational skills
training centers throughout UAE in order to ensure the
quality of outcomes of those institutions with assignment in
accordance with UAE national priorities.
4.2 Higher Education Quality
To ensure that tertiary education institutions (colleges and
universities) in UAE operate at international levels of quality, that the students, graduates, and the public are confident
that licensed institutions and accredited programs will provide the needed quality of higher education that they expect
and deserve. UAE established The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which is the Federal Government Quality Assurance Agency belonging to the Ministry
The Impacts of Education on the Sustainable Development …
273