Education is in the middle of its biggest disruption within living memory. The precautions to curb the spread of Covid-19 have forced pupils to study online and forced schools to adapt to the new paradigm.
Distance learning is nothing new, but up until now it has been largely voluntary and focused on higher and professional education. As primary and secondary schools adapt to the digital space, it begs the question, where do we go from here?
Forward-thinking
Futurists such as Alvin Toffler have long warned education must adapt if pupils are to learn the skills needed for the 21st century. In his book Future Shock, published in 1984, he wrote: "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution gathers pace and routine tasks are taken up by machines, forward-thinking educators and academics are calling for a new approach to education – one that stresses human values, such as creativity, curiosity, design thinking, and the adaptability and lifelong learning Toffler championed.
On the surface, this is at odds with traditional class-based education. Who needs to know when or where two trains will pass if one of them leaves Delhi at 3pm travelling at 45km/h when an app will calculate it for you?
Who needs to be able to reel off a list of the kings and queens of England and the dates they ruled when a search engine will provide the data at the click of a button?
The value of education
This is somewhat unfair to traditional education. Maths teachers will point out arithmetic is critical to everyday life and that maths underlies many creative fields, whether it be the pitch and harmonies of musical notes or the pleasing proportions of graphic design. History teaches us to research and to evaluate sources using critical thinking.
School curriculums are not designed on a whim. They ensure young people leave school with a basic level of knowledge and with the skills required to enter the workforce at a basic level or to carry their education further, whether it be in technical skills or intellectual ones. They are standardised, and can be tested and evaluated, progress measured.
But all too often pupils – particularly those not of an academic mindset – leave school without realising their skills, considering their education complete.
Grass roots learning
Enter the guerrilla teacher, the pop-up pedagogue. Guerrilla teachers do not fit into the established education establishment – they have no real hierarchy or set curriculum, and often no fixed college. They work online or in extra-curricular clubs and after-school activities. They make learning fun. They may be volunteers or act as freelancers. Because they are so flexible, they can adapt their teaching to the individual needs of a pupil far more readily than a classroom teacher adhering to a set curriculum.
The difficulty then is how to evaluate the effectiveness of such teaching. How can education authorities and potential employers be assured that learning is taking place?
One possibility is to apply a degree of oversight and quality assurance to the teaching. An example might be found in CoderDojo, an international, volunteer-led series of tech-based learning clubs for young people that has operated in 111 countries, including Bahrain.
A new paradigm?
Voluntary clubs like CoderDojo run in physical locations, even if they are temporary ones. But when pupils – even primary-aged pupils – are learning online, is there a need to tie them to one particular institution? At the moment, that is how schools are dealing with the enforced digitisation brought on by Covid-19.
Bahrain offers an example of future possibilities. It is a highly digitised nation with 99 per cent of its population connected to the internet, putting it in fourth place in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness 2019.
In February 2020, Bahrain moved its schools online as part of Covid-19 precautions. It logged more than 5.7 million visits to its education portal between the third week of February 2020 and April 14, when the move online took place.
Clearly digital nations such as Bahrain have the capabilities to move schools online in the longer term.
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn
The issue comes when expensive resources are required for practical lessons – most households do not have access to chemistry laboratories, for example.
It is not hard to see the benefits of creating chemistry, physics or technological education hubs, rather than expecting each school to provide its own labs.
Covid-19 has disrupted lives drastically, but we are learning to cope with it. If we go back to the way things were before the crisis, we would have failed to learn, adapt and grow – the very things we want education to teach our children. As Toffler said, we must learn, unlearn and relearn.
David Parker is the co chief investment officer at Economic Development Board Bahrain
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
RESULTS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.