Dubai launches e-school for 1m disadvantaged kids
dubai — A ‘digital school’ to provide a certified online education to students in underserved communities has been launched in Dubai. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the school will have 20,000 students in its trial batch.
“Our target is to educate one million students from disadvantaged groups within five years,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.
It will seek digital learning accreditation from global bodies.
The first comprehensive Arab digital school will feature eclasses powered by cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance self-learning and skill development.
“There are millions of children across the world with no access to education due to war and conflict.
“If we don’t try to address this knowledge gap, we will fail to give our future generations a healthy environment to grow up in and contribute to their societies,” he said.
“We aim to provide students, especially those living in refugee camps, war zones and disadvantaged communities, with the highest quality of education in the best way possible.
dubai — The Digital School, which falls under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), was launched primarily to empower refugees and underserved students.
The initial phase of the school from November 2020 to August 2021 will have 20,000 students in four countries. This batch will test the adopted digital systems, content flow and suitability for each age group, as well as student engagement and response to the curricula.
It will involve three virtual classes a week. The school will officially receive its first batch of students in September 2021.
AI-driven courses
The Digital School will blend live and self-paced virtual classes in Math, Science, Arabic, Computer Studies and English. It will feature interactive simulation, gamebased learning, and AI- driven adaptive learning modules.
Virtual classrooms will enable students to interact with their teachers and fellow learners. They will attain a globally-recognised school credentials to complete their education or apply for jobs.
The school will employ technologies to establish a personal learning plan (PLP) that caters to each student’s needs and progress.
Students in refugee camps do not have access to education. They may have access to content, but they cannot call themselves students in a specific curriculum accredited globally.” Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications
Education for a brighter future
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications — who is the chairman of the school’s board of directors — said education is key to a brighter future anywhere. “If you want to change the future of a nation, change the education pattern.”
He said Covid-19 has thrown “education challenges” and forced 1.6 billion students around the world out of schools. “Students in refugee camps do not have access to education and to a school. They may have access to content, but they cannot call themselves students in a specific module or curriculum that is accredited globally.
“This is a challenge that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has set out to overcome — a challenge to provide schooling to people who need it the most.”