Education For All Top Priority: Al Nuaimi

Qatar participated in the Transforming Education PreSummit, held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris.

Qatar's delegation was headed by Minister of Education and Higher Education and Chairman of the Qatar National Committee for Education, Culture and Science H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi.

In her speech at the summit, the Minister noted the paramount importance that Qatar attaches to education in its permanent constitution and Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, as one of the most important pillars of social progress.

The Minister reviewed the most important results of the national consultations that were held in Qatar on June 16 and 17, regarding recommendations according to priorities that will help re-imagine education in the country, which can be crystallised into five priority axes, the first being the need for the effective application of a student-oriented learning experience that meets their needs, well-being, interests, abilities and aspirations, and full integration of persons with disabilities as well as those who face learning difficulties.

She added that the second axis is to make the most of technology, including artificial intelligence, which has witnessed an increasing acceleration, as digital learning is at the top of the priorities and interests of Qatar more than ever, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the Minister indicated that the third axis is concerned with attracting, motivating and developing teachers professionally, in light of the widespread of new technologies nationally and globally. Thus, teachers will play a major factor in the successful transformation of educational systems, she added.

Al Nuaimi said that the fourth axis is to enable learners to contribute to their long-term well-being and that of their society, especially in light of the state’s orientation towards building a knowledge-based economy and maintaining economic and environmental sustainability, which will require basing scientific research on the environment, sustainability and climate change.

Moreover, she stressed that these requirements and priorities must reflect on educational curricula, as well as research funding in higher education institutions.

The fifth axis deals with education financing, where she underscored the importance of Qatar attaches to this field all over the world, and its keenness to provide quality and inclusive education for all everywhere, as a top priority of its policy in the field of development aid in areas of conflict and crisis.

Her Excellency Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi explained that Qatar has provided support over the past decade, through the Qatar Fund for Development, to educational projects worth $1bn around the world, benefiting more than 70 countries. She concluded her speech by emphasizing that education is the road map to the future, and the Education Transformation Summit can help determine the best routes on this map. The transformation will require a lot of effort; however, the State of Qatar is fully committed to these crucial tasks, she underlined.

The preparatory summit brought together about 140 ministers of education from the world over. The ministers shared their countries’ national consultation experiences.