Gulf education officials and ministers have given warning that reforms have not improved standards in state school systems.
The 20th meeting of GCC education ministers this week in Doha, Qatar, heard how considerable efforts to overhaul the systems had not generated substantial gains in pupil performance.
Sheikha Ahmad al Mahmoud, the Qatari education minister, said the wealth of the Gulf states provided ample resources but that reforms had not generated substantial gains in performance.
From 1995 to 2005, Oman spent 3.9 per cent of its gross domestic product on education. Qatar spent 4 per cent, Saudi Arabia 6.3 per cent and the UAE 1.7 per cent.
GCC countries performed below average in this year's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, a test the skills of grade four and grade eight pupils.
With a score of 296, grade 4 pupils from Qatar fell well below the TIMSS average of 500 in maths. Pupils in Kuwait did marginally better, with a score of 316, while pupils from Dubai scored 444.
In grade eight maths, pupils from Oman scored 372; Saudi Arabian pupils scored 329 and pupils from Qatar scored 307.
GCC countries, Sheikha al Mahmoud said, need to study their school systems more carefully to determine what has worked to improve outcomes - and to discard what is not working.
Several GCC states have embarked on major reform initiatives in the past decade, some more than once.
Education reform has been high on the agenda for the UAE for the past 10 years but pupils continue to underperform compared with their peers around the world.
A recent World Bank report said the MENA region (which includes the six GCC countries) has "not capitalised fully on past investments in education, let alone developed education systems capable of meeting new challenges."
Ali Abdul Khaleq al Qarni, the director general of the Arab Bureau of Education, said countries should "give greater concern to teachers and their counterparts worldwide."
"We still need the educated teacher," Dr Qarni said. "Unfortunately teachers in the Arab world lack information literacy and this causes a big gap between them and students."
The UAE Minister of Education, Hanif Hassan, said success should be measured by the ability of pupils in the region compared with pupils in "advanced" countries. Until then, he said, the GCC countries must continue to devote energy to improving school systems.
klewis@thenational.ae
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
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The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5