Education should help adopt change
ABDULLAH SAYS IT MUST EQUIP CHILDREN WITH SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MARKETS OF FUTURE
Astudy has shown that “1.9 million jobs in the United Arab Emirates will be replaced” in coming years as globalisation, artificial intelligence and automated technology displace low- and medium-skilled positions in favour of a highly advanced digital-based workforce, said Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Speaking to delegates on the final day of World Government Summit yesterday, Shaikh Abdullah sounded the call, in his capacity as chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council in the UAE, to bolster the country’s education system now to teach new skills to young children today to fully counter the digital information age of tomorrow.
Current basic elementary and secondary education that teaches reading, writing and mathematics in the UAE, he said, will not be sufficient alone to give elementary students of today the necessary critical thinking skills for jobs in the next decade, two-third of which have yet to be invented.
“We must continue to diversify the curriculum by encouraging the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in preparation for a more diversified and advanced labour market,” Shaikh Abdullah said.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, watched Shaikh Abdullah’s address from the audience in Plenary Hall at the summit, flanked by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
“Human capital is our main factor in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the country is currently ranked first in the Arab world and 45th in the human capital index [globally],” Shaikh Abdullah said.
A large factor in the widening digital revolution is that “36 per cent of our population is under 15 years of age” making it critical that one-third of UAE residents of the future are duly prepared now to find meaningful work in the next decade backed by a forward-looking education.
When the Gulf pearl industry collapsed in the 20th century, the UAE adapted and diversified to meet new economic and social challenges, said Shaikh Abdullah, adding that the UAE will also rise to the challenge in the near future to embrace very different economic challenges.
‘’Most of our skills will be useless [in the future] with automation,” Shaikh Abdullah said. “We will witness many failures because many routine and managerial jobs will be substituted by artificial intelligence,” he said.
“We are now discussing an education system that would allow us to be globally competitive. Our children, boys and girls, have to know they aren’t only competing against each other, but other students around the world.”
Teaching children in early education years to acquire new skills such as critical thinking and latest digital skills will help them cope with greater market challenges. “We have to teach our citizens new skills … and not settle for skills in the current market that will not equip us for future markets,” he said.
Most of our skills will be useless [in the future] with automation. We will witness many failures because many routine and managerial jobs will be substituted by AI.” Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan