Our curriculum prepares students for jobs that don't exist yet: Minister

Abu Dhabi - The three-day expo will kick off today.

The unmanned aerial vehicle market is projected to reach $70.3 billion by 2029 and the UAE is taking steps to prepare the next generation for the fourth industrial revolution, ministers and experts said in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. One-third of students in schools today will take up jobs that don't exist yet, noted researchers and decision-makers at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX 2020) and Simulation and Training Exhibition (SimTEX 2020) conference.
The three-day expo will kick off today.
Minister of Education Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi said the UAE has introduced technology-focused subjects to empower students. "We have to develop skills of students to match the requirements of this fourth industrial revolution. We, in the UAE, have transformed our curriculum and education delivery to adapt all the skills and knowledge required to enable the kids to be productive citizens of the future and to be enabler for a knowledge economy. We have introduced some subjects like design and technology, computer science, innovation and creative design. We have intensified focus on basic sciences."
Al Hammadi highlighted how the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge organised by Khalifa University of Science and Technology was leading to capability development of the students. "We will enable universities to start introducing higher level of programmes, new specialties."
Al Hammadi said in the digital age, introducing new subjects will help kids learn and adapt to new technologies. "We hardly use 10 per cent of the features of our smart phones because we didn't grow up with it. Kids now are making full use of it."
Focus on character building, too
Dr Yehya Mohamed Al Marzouqi, Executive Director, Strategy, Tawazun Economic Council, pointed out: "There is a thought that 30 to 35 per cent of kids in schools today will be doing jobs which don't exist yet.
"If that's the case, then how will we prepare the students for the future?"
Al Marzouqi stressed that focus should be on fundamental aspects of character building in students. "We must make sure that our curriculum explains what is right and wrong. The UAE is an example of this. Tolerance is a building block of this nation."
He allayed fears that robotics, artificial intelligence and technologies will take away jobs, but stressed shortage of skilled human capital will be the challenge. "We should not be worried (about job losses) for the next couple of decades. It's just the level of skill-sets that will change. It depends on the agility of the nations as to how soon they can re-skill people so that they can take up more challenging and exciting jobs."
Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Bawardi said with the evolving world of advanced technologies, there are lots of new challenges.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Abu Dhabi