The education system in the UAE has been undergoing transformation with even more changes in the pipeline. Amended bylaws, new fee caps and curriculum modifications are just the tip of the iceberg. PREETI KANNAN meets Minister of Education DR HANIF HASSAN, the man behind the transformation who plans to take education in the UAE to new heights
Under the hands-on stewardship of Dr Hanif Hassan, the education sector is set to shift into top gear to catch up with the fast pace of development in almost all areas. The reforms in the education sector are being introduced keeping in mind the urgent and future needs of the student community as well as the job market. Dr Hanif Hassan spells out the new measures and decisions being taken by his ministry. Excerpts:
You have been very visible as a minister with numerous visits to schools, surprise inspections at ministry's various departments, active participation in public events etc. And you do have the reputation of an easily accessible minister. How do you perceive your public image and its merits?
I believe my role is one of service and I have made it a point to attend as many events as my schedule permits to understand and support the efforts of our educators and the students. It's always important for a person in my position to be a good communicator with the public, community and parents because education is a matter of concern to everybody and almost everyone has a child in a school. Education means a lot to every single person living in the UAE and the public has the right to know what's going on at all levels — be it the cabinet or the ministerial level. That is the role the ministry has to play in order to send the message to both public and private sectors. Sometimes it is a challenge to have this kind of balance by responding to the responsibilities and the role within the ministry. We must be good communicators and clarify all issues that concern the community at large.
What are the challenges that you face as a minister?
The UAE is a land of diversity where people come from different backgrounds and cultures, and education has an important role to play in preserving this kind of environment. That is why the culture of tolerance should continue. We are talking about shaping and reshaping the minds of our students in our schools, how they would see and live in this environment 10-15 years from now.
The UAE has its own needs and education has to respond to those needs. (We have to gauge) if the students (are) ready for higher education system, to be active participants in the workforce. They have to have the kind of knowledge and tools before they leave school. All the issues are of concern to the leadership of the country. The Ministry of Education has to have a sound and solid plan to respond to those needs knowing that the present system is not able to produce that outcome. There is a gap between what we are trying to do, the expectations of the country, expectations of the leadership of the country, the needs of higher education and the kind of students leaving school. That is the challenge. Our responsibility is to fill that gap.
Is there a timeframe to fill the gap?
We started the last academic year with 50 schools. The main objective is to focus on the kind of communication skills, math and science skills, technology. Hopefully we will expand it to more schools in the next few years.
Could you elaborate on the new bylaws introduced by the federal cabinet? How will it help private and government schools?
The new bylaws are designed to minimise the prescriptive regulations of the old bylaws and to decentralise the authority over private schools. The education councils and authorities will have more direct involvement with the private schools within their jurisdictions. Private schools will be encouraged to meet accreditation standards and the government schools will benefit from the accreditation process as well.
The arbitrary increase of fees by private schools has become an issue of serious concern for many parents. While the parents complain of exorbitant fee increases, school managements cite rising operational costs and say they are running at a loss. What is your take on it?
This is always a delicate balancing act. As a minister I want to make certain that parents have an affordable option for the education of their children. At the same time, if schools are to provide quality education, there are costs associated with it that must be borne by the parents. The councils will work closely with the schools to provide them with fee structures that are appropriate for the education they are providing and still affordable to the parents. There are so many factors to be taken into consideration before a council or an education zone makes that decision. It should be looked at case by case. You can't apply the same percentage to all the schools. So the decree gives this kind of authority and flexibility to the zones and councils to act on behalf of the ministry.
Will the ministry look at offering any subsidies like land, infrastructure or power subsidies to bring down the rising cost of education?
We do believe in the private education and partnership with private education. At the end of the day, they are taking huge responsibility. We are always looking at creative ways to reduce our costs and to provide a quality education. The specific issues you identify are certainly interesting but that type of a decision would need to be made with the participation of several other governmental bodies.
The ministry has spoken of accreditation for schools. Could you elaborate?
We see accreditation as a means of providing quality assurance to the public about our schools and to also establish baseline standards for our schools. We are exploring various methods to achieve this end, including the establishment of our own accrediting body.
There is a lot of decentralisation taking place in the education sector with education zones and school agencies being given administrative and decision-making powers. Many parents say different authorities dealing with education have left them confused and unsure whom to approach in case of need.
Decentralisation has been a major theme of my administration. I believe the best decisions are made closest to the issue. The ministry has, historically, controlled every aspect of education — that is not an efficient nor effective model. We are giving more authority to the education councils and authorities to operate their schools in conformity with the standards and policies of the ministry. We are in a transitional phase currently and many of the details are still being fleshed out. In the end, we will have a more efficient and, I believe, more effective education system.
Very often we notice a lack of uniformity in implementation of decisions in different emirates. Is the ministry working on ensuring uniformity in any way?
The ministry will take the responsibility to develop broad standards and policies for the education sector and will delegate the operational components to the education councils and authorities. It will oversee the implementation of the decisions to ensure that they are consistent with the set policies and standards.
Do you think that government schools are losing their battle against private schools when in it comes to quality of education? More and more national students are opting for private schools despite the free education on offer.
I don't accept the notion that there is a battle between government schools and private schools. My task is to ensure that the government schools are as best as they can be and that private schools are educating students in accordance with the established bylaws. Parents should always have the option of choosing what they feel is the most appropriate for their children.
Are you in favour of a private-public partnership (PPP) in the running of schools to protect the interests of both parties?
I have always been a proponent of many options in educating our students. I have supported the development of the PPP schools, the model schools and the Madares Al Ghad schools, for instance. These options need to be assessed regularly to determine their effectiveness, but we should always encourage innovation and creativity in our system.
The teaching community still remains the most underpaid category in the country and private school teachers are paid just about Dh2,000 as basic salary. How do you expect quality of education when the teaching community remains an unhappy lot?
As we are working on the improvement and reform of education in the UAE, we are very aware of the pivotal role that teachers play in that process. We will be demanding more from teachers in the way of higher qualifications and the utilisation of modern teaching techniques. In doing so, we will provide compensation levels that are based on those higher qualifications and the performance of the teachers in improving student learning.
Both private and government schools are facing problems of arbitrary resignations. What solution do you have for retaining quality staff in schools?
Maintaining quality educators in schools is an international problem. We are working to make certain that the schools provide a stimulating environment for our professional educators and that they are compensated according to their qualifications and their performance. With these components in place, we stand a better chance of keeping our best educators.
The issue of security in schools and school buses is of great concern for students and parents with a spate of accidents on school premises. Will you be drawing up a new code on security regulations for schools across the UAE?
Safety and security of our students is our top priority. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that our students are safe and secure from the time they step into the school bus until they return home.
The health profile of school children in the UAE does not give a good picture with reports suggesting high obesity rates, diabetes, poor eyesight, mental stress, heart ailments etc. What steps are you taking to ensure that the next generation of school pass-outs is a healthy lot that can contribute to the national economy?
This is a major concern for us. The solution to the problem, however, lies beyond just our intervention. It is a larger societal matter that must enlist the support of parents and other agencies. We will do our part by providing education on healthy lifestyles and by offering healthy food in our schools, but this alone will not solve the problem.
The ministry has taken a great initiative to integrate children with special needs in regular schools. However, this has been confined only to public schools. Is there a plan in the future to encourage private schools to accept students with different disabilities?
As you know, there is a relatively new federal law that encourages the integration of students with special needs in regular schools. We are working diligently to provide appropriate educational settings for this special population of students. The private schools operate independently and based upon their particular mission may or may not have the capacity to enrol special needs students in their schools.
'Proud of my children'
'HOPEFULLY, I am a good father. I try very hard to provide my children with quality education and this is a concern I have not only for my children but for all students living in the UAE. One of my daughters, Maria, has been involved in Dubai Cares campaign and she enjoys that. I am glad to see that one of my daughters is playing a leadership role.
'I enjoy visiting schools, chatting with teachers, students and that is the most enjoyable part of my job. I do not spend a much time in my office unless there are meetings. Visiting schools, being in the field, getting to know what's going on shows the real environment that exists here without just relying on official documents and reports.
Technology and being connected through e-mails and Internet keeps you awake and alert all the time. It is a wonderful tool to communicate and follow up on all issues even if I am at home. I do spend time checking mails and responding to them. Fortunately, I do have their (family's) full support. I am really proud of my children as they really understand the responsibility I have to serve my country. Otherwise if you are away from them for 14 hours or more everyday, it is not easy for the children or the family. Luckily they understand and appreciate the responsibilities I have.'
By Preeti Kannan (Staff Reporter)