Government, Private And Nonprofit Sectors Partner With Qudwa To Drive Global Best Practices In Teaching
In driving best global practices in teaching across the UAE, the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi has announced today prestigious entities from the government, private sector and nonprofit sector as Strategic and Knowledge Partners for Qudwa Forum 2019. The event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Education (MOE), the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, The Sharjah Education Council (SEC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are among the organizations from the government sector endorsing the significance of addressing the opportunities and challenges impacting teachers in the UAE today.
His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, highlighted that “Qudwa Forum is the leading national platform that deals with key educational and knowledge related matters. It provides a platform to discuss best educational practices that can be implanted to further advance the field in the UAE. Being a hub for experts, pioneers and decision makers, the Forum also focuses on demonstrating pilot experiences that facilitate the exchange of visions and ideas adding to the cumulative experience of the educational community.
Addressing this year’s Forum, HE Al Hammadi pointed out that it will be held under the theme “Teaching for Global Competence” and mentioned, “It is a known fact that teachers are the backbone of the entire educational process, and equipped with the proper development and skills that will positively impact the entire system. Teachers are still the top priority on our agenda, due to their influential role in shaping the minds of the future generations. “We set a benchmark in the field of education to enhance teacher’s presence through continuous and specialized training, a certified license, and attracting the best skills. This approach is a key factor in developing UAE’s schools, give teachers the appreciation they deserve, as an active partner and a prominent contributor to planning and designing future educational policies”.
On her behalf, Her Excellency Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for General Education, confirmed that, “Qudwa provides ample opportunities for all participants to learn about the latest educational concepts and best practices. We are currently in the age of a knowledge-based-economy, which requires empowering teachers and enhancing their ability to create and innovate their teaching skills and methods. In turn, this will have a positive impact on students’ learning, which must always be our main focus”.
“Qudwa is the result of the vision of our wise leadership, aiming to achieve an advanced educational system in line with the nation’s aspirations and future plans,” she added. “Furthermore, the Forum is inspired by best insights in the field, and aims to engage with teachers to become key partners in developing students’ knowledge, values, skills and capacities. We aspire to enable teachers to become agents of positive and critical thinking; key components needed for a sustainable knowledge based economy”.
Her Excellency pointed out that, “The Forum provides educators, specialists, teachers and other relevant stakeholders with numerous benefits and international insights in best practice. Such a platform paves the way to initiate essential change through informed approaches. The focus on dynamic, vital and modern educational methods is consistent with our vision in building a competitive educational system in which teachers are both the driving force and the foundation.”
H.E. Sara Musallam, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge said: “Qudwa Forum is aligned with the UAE leadership’s keenness to emphasize the development of the educational and instructional system and contribute to achieving the UAE government’s initiatives aiming to establish a sustainable and knowledge-based economy.”
H.E. also reiterated “the important role this forum plays in enhancing the partnership between all sectors within the UAE, in addition to highlighting the significant contribution of teachers in creating future generations that are able to make a positive change in the future.”
Qudwa brings together a community of leaders dedicated to developing insights, initiatives and actions necessary to nurture a thriving environment for teachers in the UAE. In doing so, key organizations from the nonprofit and private sectors in education have committed to partnering with the event as Knowledge Partners to advance the UAE’s agenda in enhancing the teaching profession.
Knowledge Partners include Queen Rania Teacher Academy, an independent non-profit institution committed to advancing Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah’s vision of empowering teachers; Arc Skills, the world’s first lifelong learning company that takes a pioneering approach to skill development; the Center for Global Education at Asia Society, bringing together leaders and institutions from around the world to tackle the most critical education challenges today; Discovery Education, the global leader in standards-based digital curriculum resources for K–12 classrooms worldwide; Educational Testing Service (ETS), a nonprofit organization advancing quality and equity in education for people worldwide; Teach For All, a global network of over 40 independent, locally-led and governed partner organizations and a global organization that works to accelerate the progress of the network; and Varkey Foundation, an organization that builds the status of teachers to ensure the quality of teaching is enhanced and outcomes are improved.
Through their informed decision making and strategic development skills, these organizations will continue to raise awareness of building an inclusive and a more connected culture within the teaching profession. The discussions from the Forum will, in turn, enable a more student-centric learning method that is uniform across all schools in the UAE.
Commenting on the partnership, Hala Taher, Academic Advisor and Director of Continuous Development at Queen Rania Teacher Academy, said, “Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) is excited to join the efforts of Qudwa and partners to develop and advance teachers’ skills. QRTA believes that every educator should be equipped with the skills, recognition and support to excel, and aims to improve quality teaching and promote excellence in education in Jordan and the region.”
Mithun Kamath, Group CEO of ArcSkills, added, “The discussions at Qudwa could not be more timely nor more urgent. In an interconnected world, we must prepare the next generation with soft skills such as self-management, communication, collaboration and problem-solving so that our young people can thrive. To engage, excite and impact learners, tomorrow’s teachers will need to employ a combination of modern pedagogies and technology to teach these subjects. The Qudwa Forum will act as a catalyst for teachers to understand and learn these new methods. We are honored to partner with the Forum in this endeavor.”
Qudwa 2019 will host more than 600 UAE teachers, as well as experts and decision makers, to discuss best practices and teaching methods that positively impact teachers and enhance their skill sets—particularly in light of the increasing global challenges that this sector continues to face. Previous editions of the Forum have seen the participation of teachers, experts, opinion leaders, government officials and education pioneers from 80 countries worldwide.
