Abu Dhabi education programme reaches tens of thousands

ABU DHABI // An education programme intended to steer students towards science and technology has reached tens of thousands.

The Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) said the “Lema?” (Why) programme reached 32,370 students through 882 workshops during more than 120 school visits, reported the state news agency, Wam.

The initiative is aimed at getting students more excited about science and technology through demonstrations that go beyond the formal classroom setting.

A new workshop called “Radio Studio” was introduced this year, focusing on information and communications technology. Pupils learnt about how sound travels when emitted from a radio and the purpose of each part of a radio.

During the workshop, students recorded and transmitted their own radio broadcast into space, an activity linked with the future UAE mission to Mars.

“Our children are the future of the UAE. They are tomorrow’s innovators, technologists, engineers and industry leaders,” said Ahmed Al Calily, director-general of the committee.

“They are the people who will ensure our great nation realises its ambition to stand shoulder to shoulder with other innovative countries by 2021.”

Homaid Al Shemmari, chief executive of aerospace and engineering services at Mubadala, an investment company that helped to develop the Radio Studio workshop, said the programme “follows global best practices in the methods applied to stimulate interest in science and technology amongst the young”.

More than 65,000 pupils in grades 3 to 7, in 290 public and private schools in the emirate, have participated in the programme since it was launched in 2012, Wam said.

In March, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) introduced changes to the emirate’s school curriculum to place more emphasis on science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects.

Stem subjects in the cycle 3 curriculum are 55 per cent of the final grade weight, compared with 20 per cent for humanities, 20 per cent for language and communication, and 5 per cent for health and activities.