RAK Crown Prince attends symposium on Education Reform in the GCC

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, attended the symposium on `Education Reform in the GCC' organised by the Gulf Comparative Education Society (GCES) at Hotel Hilton here.
The two- day symposium is sponsored by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in partnership with Dubai School of Government. The symposium brings together top education researchers and policy makers from across the GCC countries and beyond to discuss various issues of relevance to GCC such as education reforms, teaching, quality improvement and equity in education.
Delivering the keynote address on the topic `The Missing Global Link in Policy Studies', Prof. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Professor of Comparative and International Education at Columbia University, New York, said that the educational reforms which have been implemented globally for the last 20 years under the banner of New Public Management could create inequality unless the governments ensure and make a real commitment to equity while implementing those reforms in their respective countries.
"There has been a lot of speculation after the recent financial crisis whether we are entering a new phase of re-regulation in education and social policy. We might very well see the start of a new big third order change with less market regulation and a little bit more of state regulation in social policy and education," she added.
Dr. Daniel Kirk, President of GCES, said that policy makers and governments in the Gulf region have recognized the pivotal role of education in national development and in developing international competitiveness. "The GCC is in the cutting edge when it comes to expansion of educational facilities. The UAE higher education sector has seen an explosive growth in the number of institutions, from just one federal university in 1977 to 60 accredited higher education institutions in 2010. The student enrollment is at an all time high and educational spending has also risen considerably in recent years," he said.
He added that similar initiatives are taking place across the GCC with Saudi Arabia developing state- of- the- art universities, Qatar continuing its investment in Education City and Bahrain, Oman and others also making new investments in higher education.
Dr. Natasha Ridge, Executive Director, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, said that the Foundation is very pleased to sponsor the event and added that through the production and dissemination of high quality research, policy makers in the UAE and the region will be able to make decisions based on research and data which will lead to the greater success and sustainability of reforms. Abdullah Hammad Al Shehi, Director of RAK Educational Zone, also spoke at the event.
Dr. Maryam A. Al Ali, Director of Supervising and Monitoring Private Schools Office at the UAE Ministry of Education, Ralph Tabberer, Chief of Schools at GEMS Education, Dr. Natasha Ridge from the Dubai School of Government and Nada Eissa, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at Georgetown University, presented papers at the panel discussion on the topic `Access and Equity in Education' at the first session of the symposium.