E-learning project makes waves

The Madrasa programme (www.madrasa.org) launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has crossed a milestone providing Arabised videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry and physics. Here’s the first-year report:

It’s been a year since the Madrasa e-learning platform set out on its mission to make high-tech education accessible to everyone in the Arab world. Now, over two million students are using it regularly, with the site racking up over 45 million views since the launch.

Its Arabised educational videos are getting around 15,000 views every day, and 6,000 new subscribers are added daily, proving how Madrasa — the biggest platform of its kind — has been making waves across the Arab world.

When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the platform in October last year, he said: “Our first priority is education, second priority is education, and third priority is education. I would like to tell you that [this platform] is just the beginning. Our journey will continue.”

Madrasa is more than just a platform with 5,000 free Arabised videos in science and math, it’s part of a mission that will benefit at least 1,000 farflung villages across the world.

In fact, the team of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) is preparing to take the platform to areas with no Internet connection, including those in Senegal.

By the end of the year, the reach of its offline educational content will be expanded to 25 more countries.

Shaping the next innovators

Saeed Al Eter, assistant secretarygeneral of the MBRGI, said: “Madrasa e-learning platform reflects the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that every child has the right to education.”

He added that the initiative responds to the need to develop and enrich Arabic educational content

and make it accessible to the largest segment of students in the Arab world.

The aim is to establish Madrasa as a reference that supports all Arab students and empowers teachers, according to Dr Waleed Al Ali, director of Madrasa platform at the MBRGI.

Through the platform’s videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry and physics for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, Madrasa seeks to inspire, motivate and prepare the next generation of Arab researchers, scientists, mathematicians and innovators, he added.

The platform will soon offer Arabic language lessons to 50 million Arab students.

Then, there are plans to add videos on computer science, engineering, programming, artificial intelligence and space science lessons, Al Ali said.