| The UAE offers a fully-fledged educational system for both
boys and girls from primary level to university, with education
for the country's citizens being provided free through government
schools, colleges and universities. There is also an extensive
private education sector which now accounts for around 40 per
cent of the student population.
Over half a million students are now at school or in college,
while several thousand students, of both sexes, are pursuing
courses of higher education abroad at Government expense.
Education from primary to secondary level is universal and
compulsory and literacy rates are comparable to the norm in
developed countries. An adult illiteracy programmed conducted
in association with the UAE Women's Federation is helping
to eradicate illiteracy among the older members of society.
There is a strong focus on computer literacy and on English
language teaching in higher education to equip young Emirates
with the necessary skills.
State-funded educational opportunities in the UAE have blossomed
since the establishment of the Federation when only a tiny
minority of the population had access to formal education.
A comprehensive free education system is now available to
all students, male and female. At the start of the 1999/2000
academic year, 336,135 students enrolled in over 640 government
schools throughout the country. Substantial progress has also
taken place in the private sector which accounts for nearly
40 per cent of the student population at kindergarten, primary
and secondary level.
In addition the UAE's youth have ready access to higher education,
both federally-funded and at the many internationally accredited
private institutions that are being established throughout
the UAE. Generous grants are also available for those wishing
to study abroad.
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Educational Strategy
Although the UAE has achieved much in the field of
education there is a real awareness that constant updating
of policy and continual investment in infrastructure
is required to ensure that graduates are properly equipped
to enter the workforce and assist in the country's development.
To this end, the Ministry of Education has released
a draft policy document outlining a strategy for educational
development in the UAE up to the year 2020 based on
several five - year plans. The strategy aims to introduce
the latest information technology at all levels including
a computer for every 10 students at kindergarten, every
five students at primary school, every two students
at preparatory school, and a computer for every student
at secondary school. The primary focus of attention
will be on the needs of students, especially through
the promotion of self-learning and continuous education
programs. T here will also be training programs for
teachers since surveys have shown that although the
majority of students can use computers and the Internet,
their teachers we re less familiar with this technology.
Cooperation between the public and private sectors
at this stage in the country's progress is considered
to be essential and so the draft policy document features
the establishment of a council for educational development,
comprising senior education-alists, government officials
and businessmen to assist in raising finance for infrastructure
and information technology projects. It also envisages
the setting up of a special fund comprising governmental
and private bodies.
The emiratisation of teaching staff is scheduled to
reach 90 per cent by the year 2020,a necessary development
if the UAE's Islamic traditions and principles are to
be safeguarded.
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Secondary School Certificate
Women in the UAE have enthusiastically embraced the educational
opportunities provided by them in recent years. (For more
information see the section on Women.) This was evident yet
again in the General Secondary School Certificate results
in 1999 where female students outshone their male counterparts
for the third consecutive year. The results showed a good
overall performance by girls in both the science and literature
subject groups. Fifteen girls were in the top 10 places in
the literature group, while 16 girls and 10 boys shared the
top 10 positions in the science group. The pass percentage
of government schools was 96.2 per cent in science and 82.6
per cent in literature while private schools' pass percentage
was 84 per cent in science and 77.9 per cent in literature.
Higher Education
More than 80 per cent of national students who graduated
from secondary school in 1999 took up a place in higher education
in September 1999. According to the National Admissions and
Placement Office (NAPO), 90 per cent of female students and
73 per cent of their male counterparts commenced courses at
the federally funded Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT),
established in 1987, Zayed University for women, established
in 1998, and UAE University at Al Ain, established in 1977.
A total of 16,000 students, including 4,000 new re c ruits,
commenced the new academic year 1999/2000 at Al Ain University,
whilst 1,692 students enrolled at Zayed University, where
the entire educational process is computer-based, 742 at the
Abu Dhabi campus and 950 at the Dubai campus
In 1999, 4,944 students were granted admission to the 11 constituent
colleges of the HCT network, compared with 4,154 at the beginning
of the 1998-1999 academic year. Of these admissions, 1,675
were male and 3,229 were female, the latter figure being nearly
double that for 1998.
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Higher Colleges of Technology
The courses provided by the HCT are designed to prepare
nationals for professional and technological careers
in both government and private sectors. Since their
foundation, the colleges have grown dramatically, with
staff and students increasing by about 30 per cent each
year. At present over 10,000 students are taking advantage
of the educational opportunities offered by HCTs in
Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain and Ras al-Khaimah.
HCT courses are grouped under four main programme headings:
engineering, technology, health science, communication
technology and business
During the period under review, Sheikh Zayed issued
Federal Law No. 17 of 1998 dealing with the re-organization
of the HCTs. The law stated that these institutions
should henceforth be administered under an independent
central body which will have its headquarters in Abu
Dhabi but with branches in other towns.
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