Author : Editor
Education's role as a catalyst in deepening the sense of national identity among the youth was the dominant theme of the second session of the Dubai Partnership Agenda (DPA), a strategic government initiative to facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Heads of various organisations and public and private stakeholders in the education sector discussed the challenges at hand and the role that education can play in preserving national identity and thus furthering development goals.
Pride and belonging
Abdullah Al Shaibani, the secretary-general of the Dubai Executive Council, said education can play a major role in creating an in-depth understanding, a deep-rooted sense of belonging and sense of pride about their identity among young Emiratis.
"Youth is the future of the nation, so preserving Emirati national identity is crucial to us particularly in the light of the current demographics," he said.
"Enhancing national identity is the responsibility of all members of the community and education is key channel to cultivate and strengthen national identity among Emirati youth by creating an in-depth understanding, a deep-rooted sense of belonging, association, and a feeling of pride and shared ambitions for the future," he said.
Sense of mutual respect
"It is also instrumental to improve harmonious cohesion and mutual respect in the society by creating awareness on Emirati national identity among non-Emiratis," said Al Shaibani.
DPA was initiated in March 2010 on the directives of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the emirate's Executive Council. It aims to support formulation and implementation of public policy, by constituting a structured channel to consult with and receive the feedback from leading private sector enterprises, build consensus among stakeholders by creating a favourable environment for constructive criticism.
The DPA also aims to foster exchange of information, knowledge and expertise to improve general performance and competitiveness indicators of Dubai by encouraging new thinking and innovative ideas.
Recommendations
Al Shaibani said the recommendations from the DPA session would focus on realising the vision of the UAE leadership. "We are hopeful that this DPA session and the recommendations that would come out of it will play an important role to improve the efforts to better preserve national identity in our schools."
The panelists discussed the present state of education in relation to the preservation of national identity as well as the legislative and regulatory environment, with a view to identify challenges and propose due corrective measures.
The session was attended by Major General Mohammad Al Merri, chairman of the Social Sector Committee; Dr Abdullah Karam, chairman and director-general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority; Ahmad Eid Al Mansouri, director-general of Dubai Education Zone; Shaikha Khulood Al Qasimi, director of Curriculum Department, Ministry of Education, besides members of education institutions from across Dubai including Robert Stokoe, CEO, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Ashok Kumar, CEO, The Indian High School.
The session was moderated by Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi, a renowned educationist and media personality.
Partnership: increasing synergy
The Dubai Partnership Agenda is a strategic government initiative to facilitate collaboration and increase synergy between the public and private sectors. It is a consultative open dialogue and interaction platform among government entities and private sector organisations whose purpose is ultimately to provide policy recommendations to support execution of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015.
The Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 identifies ‘Preserving national identity and improving community cohesion' as the first objective of the social development agenda. ‘Cohesive society and preserved identity' make for the first strategic priority of the UAE Government Strategy 2011-2013.
Source : gulfnews.com
