Education reforms are needed

The UAE new education reforms came timely but there is always room for improvement

Teaching arts and humanities is as important as STEM education. Lauren Lancaster / The National

The education system has been a constant work in progress since this country was established in 1971. Dynamic changes in the world and the region over the past few decades have created a pressing need for sweeping revisions to the way we teach our children and prepare them for the workforce. This is why education reforms announced this week are welcome.

As The National reported yesterday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has approved comprehensive reforms drawn up by the Ministry of Education, including a new curriculum and examination system for pupils across all school levels and a special streaming system for gifted children.

The overhaul puts more emphasis on the Stem subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – which are essential to the pursuit of a knowledge-based economy. New subjects will include design innovation, health science, career guidance and business management.

While we support any measures to improve the education system and admire a culture that will leave no room for excuses, we do wonder if an inflexible curriculum will deliver all that it aspires to do.

There is no doubt that many of the jobs of tomorrow will require candidates with a solid foundation in science and technology. But the changes to the curriculum may create a skewed system that puts too much focus on those subjects and not enough on the arts and humanities. While it could be argued that these subjects do not bring the same quantifiable economic benefits as the sciences, they do serve to develop creativity and critical thinking.

The Stem subjects and the humanities complement each other in the sense that when combined they provide students with a complete view of the world. Science, for example, teaches students how the world fits together, while history teaches them how we fit into the world. It’s true that arts subjects have been perceived as an easier option, but this does not mean we have to remove the option in order to encourage more students to specialise in science.