EDUCATION & LIFELONG LEARNING
EDUCATION & SCHOOLS
Providing information and insight on developments in international education and schools, HE and continuous learning
highlighting investment areas and where they lead on education. Hailing itself the ‘City of Education’ was Moscow, signposting
its focus on equipping international students for a career in science and engineering, while its Department of Education showed how the city is working with industry to provide a uniquely practical and engaging study experience. Norway emphasised the use of education technology in its classrooms and 3D learning. Coding, robotics and creativity were championed by Korea and Japan, while leadership was emphasised by Hungary, France and Spain. The dominant global presence was however from the MEA, with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE all unveiling their education ambitions.
CREATING CHOICE IN THE MEA In his session Rethinking MEA Education, Dr Abdulla Al Karam of Dubai school regulator Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) touched on the growth of the education market in the Middle East and Africa. “Dubai has around 280 schools all offering different curriculums, but going forward we need to offer a different type of school. Excess seats now exist, so it has become a parent’s market in terms of choice, but we need to widen that choice to create more diverse options. Schools in the UAE, particularly Dubai, need to differentiate,” he said. Historically, regulatory environments have often proved
problematic for schools setting up in the region, added global education consultant and teacher at Dwight School Dubai, Evo Hannan – but this is now changing. “The MEA is creating more favourable regulatory environments
as Google Plus and G Suite, and how to create and organise learning resources. Continuing on the theme of social impact, director of learning
technologies, Terry McAdams, showed how Branksome Hall is breeding innovators at an early age with its students learning to design wind turbines. “Our students are learning to use 3D printers and routers. Some have even built a wind tunnel and they can test their designs and discover how to solve real-world problems in our quest to become a carbon-free school,” he said. Mr McAdams also shared how the school is enabling its students to solve challenges closer to home, with student wellbeing being a growing issue for all schools. He added, “We can’t convince enough students and teachers that sleep is important for learning, so we are developing a prototype Oura ring that monitors sleep quality. We’re hoping that students can improve their sleep and, therefore, how they learn.” Other inventions in progress that are being led by the students
include a meditation headset to try to reduce anxiety among students and teachers.
BUILDING CITIES FOR EDUCATION Several countries were represented at the UK’s largest education and technology show this year, with each country pavilion
in a bid to diversify economies that have typically been resource- dependent. There is also now a real willingness to pay for high- quality international education and for parents to put their incomes directly into their children’s future. Furthermore, UAE states such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi now have many mid-priced offerings, as opposed to say Singapore and Hong Kong, which are primarily expensive school markets,” he said. One predominant area MEA countries are investing in is
digital and vocational skills that are aligned with industry and can help guarantee students work on completion; an area the Middle East, in particular, has previously been dragging its heels on. “Vocational education is a large growing area for us in that it is mainly being led by the utility companies,” notes Dr Al Karan. “We have seen many companies in Dubai setting up their own education institutions in-house, so I think we will see more vocational jobs and even more demand for vocational learning.”
WELLBEING CONCERN HEIGHTENS A repeated theme throughout the event was student wellbeing. Dr Al Karan asserted that wellbeing was no longer an option in the MEA, but a vital component of a student’s life. A series of wellbeing pillars are now being championed across schools in the UAE due to a recent student KHDA consensus. These pillars include: diet and health, sleep quality, and human connection and friendships. Student wellbeing was also a concern among most international
schools in attendance, with a Young Minds report estimating that one in three students have a diagnosable mental health condition and approximately 90 per cent of school leaders seeing an increase in the number of students showing low-mood, anxiety, stress and depression.
44 | RELOCATE | SPRING 2020
Image courtesy of Bett
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