UK education charity designs roadmap to transform UAE’s technical learning
A London-based education charity has completed a commission to develop a roadmap to transform the United Arab Emirates’ technical education system.
- Baker Dearing Educational Trust has produced a five-year plan for the UAE’s technical education system.
- The UAE’s Minister of Education met with key education bodies and Baker Dearing’s Chairman Lord Baker on a UK visit last week.
- The UK’s Exports Minister has praised the project as a “significant achievement”.
As part of this partnership, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust invited the Emirates’ Minister of Education to experience the best of British technical education on a trip to the UK last week.
The UAE’s Ministry of Education chose Baker Dearing to review and suggest reforms for its technical education system due to BDT’s pivotal role in the creation of University Technical Colleges (UTCs) in England.
The project is another boost to the UK’s reputation as a leader in education after the OECD’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment results showed the UK was significantly above average in reading, maths and science.
This work will also support the UK’s International Education Strategy, which contains a commitment to “promote the UK education sector and its potential to address the world’s increasingly complex education needs.”
Minister meets with Ofsted, students, and educators
The Emirates’ Minister of Education His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi started his two-day trip on Wednesday 24th January with a tour of education supplier exhibition The Bett Show at London’s ExCel Centre.
His Excellency and his delegation were then given a tour of one of the secondary schools that Baker Dearing supports, London Design and Engineering UTC.
The tour took in LDE’s state-of-the-art VR Lab and the minister also spoke with the UTC’s senior leaders about its industry-led curriculum and the UK government’s Level 3 qualification reform.
During their UK visit, the delegation met with several of the UK’s education leaders and regulators, including the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Ofsted, and The Gatsby Foundation.
Baker Dearing’s Chairman and former Education Secretary Lord Kenneth Baker also discussed the creation of the UTC programme over lunch with the delegation at the House of Lords on Thursday 25th January.
Baker Dearing ‘perfectly positioned’ to complete project
The Ministry of Education commissioned Baker Dearing to produce a comprehensive review of the UAE’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system.
This report identified the strengths and weaknesses of the Emirates’ current TVET system which informed the development of a five-year roadmap for improvement, which has also been produced by Baker Dearing.
With its successful track record of having built a ‘movement’ of new schools in partnership with employers, Baker Dearing was perfectly positioned to support positive change in the UAE’s technical education system.
Baker Dearing Educational Trust chairman Lord Baker commented:
“We are truly honoured and excited to have worked on this prestigious mandate in the United Arab Emirates.”
“Our mission has always been to bridge the gap between education and industry, equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the modern world.
“This opportunity in the UAE aligns perfectly with our commitment to shaping the future of education.”
Minister for Exports and Co-Chair of the Department for Business and Trade’s Education Sector Advisory Group Lord Offord said:
“This significant achievement demonstrates that our world-class education sector is highly regarded in a fast-growing market such as the UAE.
“The UK’s education exports were worth approximately £26 billion in 2020, increasing by around 60 per cent since 2010.
“We are working closely with the British Council and the sector to create partnerships and opportunities for UK businesses, helping them to grow and export their gold standard services to the world.”
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