Implementation of education by the Middle East and Africa (MEA) was a major item of discussion during the Bett convention in London. The convention brings together different shareholders in the technology education sector making it the world’s largest education technology convention.
A session that was led by Dr. Abdulla Al Karam of Dubai school regulator Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) discussed in-depth about MEA education. It was titled “rethinking MEA education” and highlighted the growth of the education market in the Middle East and Africa.
Middle East and Africa mid-priced offer
Dr. Al Karam said Dubai has around 280 schools that offer different curriculums but emphasized the need to offer different types of schools. He continued by saying:
Excess seats now exist so it has become a parent’s market in terms of choice but we need to widen that choice to create more diverse options. Schools in the UAE, particularly in Dubai, need to differentiate.
Dr. Al Karam also highlighted that the MEA region had mid-priced education offering compared to other countries such as Singapore and HongKong. This gives the region an edge while competing with their counterparts.
He said investments are being made to ensure the quality of education is raised. He noted, “We have seen many companies in Dubai setting up their own education systems and institutions in-house, so I think we will see more vocational jobs and even more demand for vocational learning.”
Middle East and Africa region collaboration
The Middle East and Africa region have shown great collaboration in the education sector. A factor that has contributed to this rising number is the increased availability of schools. For instance, there are 309 English-Medium international schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi has 164 schools, Beijing has 151 and Shanghai has 168 schools.
This means that parents in these regions can easily be able to access schools to send their kids into. This was demonstrated by data showing the rise in these regions. In 4 years, East Asia experienced a rise in students of 7.4 percent from 452,400 in 2015 to 600,900 today.
The Bett Awards are a celebration of the inspiring creativity and innovation that can be found throughout technology for education. The awards form an integral part of Bett each year, the world’s leading showcase of education technology solutions.
The winners are seen to have excelled in ICT provision and support for nurseries, schools, colleges and special schools alike with a clear focus on what works in the classroom.
Featured image from the Bett Convention in London.
