ABU DHABI, 8th May, 2023 (WAM) – H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council (EHRC), emphasised the pressing need for global action to preserve the planet in light of the challenges posed by climate change and environmental damage.
Sheikh Abdullah noted that the world is now more passionate and serious than ever about addressing these issues, and that the UAE has taken a proactive approach to respond to this need through a range of initiatives and programmes. Among these is the Greening Education Partnership initiative, which forms part of the country's preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in 2023.
During a remote meeting of the EHRC, Sheikh Abdullah underscored the UAE's commitment to advancing sustainable development and emphasised the importance of educating and empowering future generations to become leaders in environmental conservation. The EHRC, he said, will play a critical role in this effort by developing and implementing innovative strategies to promote green education and foster a culture of sustainability across all sectors of society.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education; Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development and Secretary General of the Council; Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE); Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Manan Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Sara Awad Issa Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education; Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE and Chancellor of UAE University (UAEU); Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Al Karam, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority – Dubai, and Dr. Muhadditha Yahya Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority.
Sheikh Abdullah affirmed the initiative embodies the UAE’s vision and tireless efforts to preserve the environment for future generations. “Education plays a key role in achieving the initiative's goal of realising radical change in the society's culture and transforming negative behaviours into positive ones.”
He also pointed out that ingraining the environmental culture among generations is not limited to academia but extends to organising activities that highlight the necessity of educational, social and family awareness of the importance of preserving nature and the environment.
“Environmental culture is one of the most important foundations that help protect and preserve the environment for future generations. A key factor that affects the formation of this culture is education, as it is the primary factor that helps shape the overall culture of individuals and communities by highlighting these concepts in curriculums and educational activities to achieve environmental awareness and sustainability,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
“We know that no country can operate in isolation in terms of sustainable development, and to achieve our goals, we must all intensify our efforts to promote environmental awareness and the culture of preserving the environment and nature. Many programmes and initiatives will be launched in the educational sector that can help achieve this goal, which targets students of all ages and those working in the sector,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
During the meeting, Dr. Al Falasi reviewed the framework of the Greening Education Partnership launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the Education Summit in support of the UAE's pioneering efforts in the field of environmental sustainability and preserving the environment, and in preparation for the country’s hosting of COP28 this year.
The partnership with UNESCO is a key initiative that includes four main pillars, which are Greening Schools, Greening Learning, Greening Capabilities and Greening Communities, as well as ambitious goals that must be completed by the start of the conference and beyond, implemented through the National Committee for Green Education,” he added.
"Green education refers to a wide range of activities and programmes that aim to foster environmental awareness and conservation among individuals. It also encompasses utilizing the environment as a tool for education. Environmental education has gained significant traction globally in recent years, with many countries adopting it into their educational curriculums at varying levels," he explained.
Al Falasi also reviewed the amendments to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which were drafted to increase the flexibility of skills-based education systems and open channels for productive dialogue with business sectors to identify required competencies and align them with educational sector outcomes.
He then explained that the amendments include converting the current system framework from 10 levels to 8 levels, which will achieve harmony between Emirati qualifications and international standards, enhance student competencies, and teach them the required knowledge and skills to meet changing requirements in local and international labour markets.
He also explained the “National Competition Framework,” which aims to enhance and build students' capacities in various specialist areas and create an entrepreneurial generation who can compete nationally, regionally and globally.
Al Falasi pointed out that the framework includes a set of national programmes and competitions organised by the Ministry of Education in coordination with relevant educational and other national entities throughout the year, revolving around various subjects, including sports, physical fitness, innovation, technology, science, engineering and mathematics, as well as arts, culture, music, leadership, diplomacy, reading, writing and debating.
Al Amiri discussed the strategic axes for promoting positive values in government schools and highlighted the importance of instilling traditional values and positive qualities in the minds of students from an early age, which will have a significant impact on their futures.
She also affirmed that promoting positive values is part of an integrated strategy for enhancing the quality of life and well-being of students within the institution, which focuses on creating a sense of individual and social responsibility, building personal skills related to healthy habits, and instilling sustainable habits, such as preserving the school environment.
Musallam presented the Project of National Identity, a comprehensive framework that evaluates the quality of national identity programmes in private schools through three main pillars: cultural heritage, values and citizenship.
She also highlighted the project’s importance in ensuring transparency in Abu Dhabi’s educational community and enabling parents to choose the appropriate educational environment for their children, as well as in instilling national identity among students, which is one of the priorities that the education sector is committed to implementing in the community.
Nusseibeh presented a proposal to expand and develop the library of UAEU to enable it to compete with the best university libraries in the world and provide academic and scientific support to students, faculty members and researchers.
He then explained that the proposal includes establishing specialist research centres in various fields and a wide range of modern knowledge resources for students, academics and researchers.
Expanding the university library will create a distinguished educational and research environment that will help achieve the vision of the UAE’s leadership to build a knowledge-based and sustainable economy in the country.
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