Resumption of Qatar-UAE ties points to positive signs

The resumption of diplomatic relations between Qatar and the

The mathematics and reading abilities United Arab Emirates signals a positive of 13-year-olds in America today atmosphere of de-escalation, a are the poorest in decades, according regional strategy pursued by Gulf to a report released Wednesday. countries amid broadening peacebuilding

The last time math performance efforts, analysts said. was The this diplomatic low for 13-year-olds thaw is the latest was in in a 1990. series In of reading, headline-grabbing it was in 2004, rapprochements according to data following from a the China-brokered National Assessment peace of deal Educational between Progress Saudi (NAEP), Arabia and dubbed Iran in “the March. nation’s report card’’. Last month, Bahrain’s Civil Aviation The Affairs lowest-performing announced that students flights experienced between Bahrain a larger and decline. Qatar For would them, math resume scores on have May regressed 25, after to the levels two in 1978, countries and reading decided scores in April have to declined restore to their levels diplomatic seen before ties. 1971, according NAEP, Clemens the federal Chay, standardized a research fellow test. at The the National National Center University for Education of Singapore’s Statistics Middle (NCES), East the statistical Institute, center said of past the differences US Department between of Education, the UAE collected and Qatar the have NAEP’s been new “ideological”, data from October but Abu to Dhabi December has already of the 2022-23 shown school its willingness year. The to assessments push ahead were with made reconciliation, for about albeit 8,700 gradually, students with at about the restoration 460 schools of nationwide. air links.

The “The 13-year-olds resumption scored of official an average diplomatic of 256 representation out of 500 in reading, took longer and 271 as out the of UAE, 500 in in line math, with down its from conciliatory average scores foreign of policy, 260 in felt reading necessary and to 280 pace in math the mending three years of ago. fences in tandem with The Bahrain’s average policies,” scores for Chay 13-year-old said. students “Certainly, declined there by is a four clear points appetite in reading for regional and nine de-escalation points in mathematics in the Middle compared East, to but the the previous drive academic emanating year, from the tests the Gulf result states reveal. remains Compared the to strongest.” a decade ago, there has been a decline On June of 7 points 19, Qatar’s in average Ministry reading of scores Foreign and Affairs 14 points said in in average a statement mathematics that “based scores. on the Al-Ula agreement and The the latest joint keenness data underscore on strengthening the ongoing the setbacks bilateral for relations”, American Qatar students and the caused UAE by would the disruptions restore diplomatic of the COVID-19 relations pandemic, by which reopening included the remote Qatari learning, embassy and in the show UAE no signs capital of academic Abu Dhabi recovery. and its consulate in Dubai, More as than well two as years the UAE after embassy students went in Doha back on to the in-person same day. study, “we continue to see worrisome signs about student achievement and well-being”, NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr said in a press release.

“The ‘green shoots’ of academic

There is a clear recovery that we had hoped to see appetite for regional have not materialized,” she said.

de-escalation “The bottom line — in these the results show that there are troubling gaps in Middle East, but the the basic skills of these students,” said Carr. drive “This emanating is a huge-scale challenge from that faces the nation.” the Gulf states

“We are observing steep drops in achievement, remains troubling the shifts in reading habits and other factors that affect strongest.” achievement and rising mental health challenges alongside alarming changes

Clemens Chay, research fellow in school climate,” Carr said. at the National University of

Singapore’s While scores Middle declined East across Institute all racial and ethnic groups, among both male and female students, as

In a similar statement, the UAE’s well as in urban, suburban and rural Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the areas, the lowest-performing students two sides “underlined that this step experienced particularly significant comes as the embodiment of the will decreases. of the leadership of the two countries”.

Students across all achievement levels

Rasha Al Joundy, senior researcher experienced declines, with stronger at the Dubai Public Policy students witnessing slides of six to Research Centre in the UAE, said eight points, while lower-performing the announcement of the restoration students saw decreases of 12 to 14 of UAE-Qatar relations itself points, the results show. “was not surprising” since it is considered

The most significant drops were part of many previous steps observed among Native American students, taken toward this goal. who experienced a decline of

She said UAE-Qatar relations can 20 points, followed by black students be seen as part of a general inclination with a decline of 13 points. White to adopt a de-escalation strategy students had a decline of six points, in the region. For instance, she while Asian students maintained their said all the GCC and regional countries scores. are working together for the

Fewer students than ever say first time to back an Arab-Iran they are reading for fun every day, peace-building effort. the report says. About 14 percent of

The 2021 Al-Ula agreement students reported engaging in daily among Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation reading for fun, down from 27 percent Council countries — UAE, Saudi reported in 2012. And the proportion Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and of students who claimed to never or Oman — at the 41st GCC Summit in rarely read for fun increased to almost Saudi Arabia ended a three-year one-third, up from 22 percent in 2012. boycott of Qatar that was imposed in