UAE based education specialist Mr. Suraj Khatri on how education systems need to be more futuristic
Suraj Khatri
“Education is a fundamental right and the basis for progress in every country. Prosperous countries depend on skilled and educated workers,” Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’s no wiser statement than this to underscore the colossal impact of education in the world. The pace at which our economies and technologies are charging, educating the youth is not only imperative today, but is also the fringe on which our future balances. This is not just a local economy anymore. People living in the remotest parts of the world are also part of the international economy now.
The old system of learning was more degree-oriented. We focused on a rudimentary concept called “rote learning” – wherein students were expected to mug up topics from a textbook and marks were given on to replicate the textual words on an exam paper. But was this system in line with the future requirements of the world?
The system didn’t guarantee if a student scoring cent-percentile in an exam was really prepared to apply his learnings to the real world. It didn’t even guarantee if students understood properly what they were reading in the first place.
Education needs to prepare students for the future – for the next 30 years. And the future is not theoretical or textual. It is more vocal and political. It belongs to blockchain and decentralized currencies, social inclusion, GDPR and the creator and gig economy. Thanks to all the colossal technological innovations of the last decade or so, robots are capable of doing surgeries today that until a few years ago, even highly experienced doctors weren’t doing.
And education needs to catch up to this advancement. We are currently experiencing the third revolution of the Internet i.e Web3. Words like blockchain, ethereum, NFTs, are increasingly becoming commonplace. Basic arithmetic and scientific understanding is important, sure; but in order to succeed in the fast moving world, kids today need to have a working understanding of concepts that are shaping the future such as national prosperity, universal basic incomes, data tracking, space tech, etc.
The world is evolving so fast, it only makes sense for education systems to also constantly evolve. Some schools and universities have started realizing this, which is why, a few countries have started overhauling their education systems with more modernized versions.
That’s the view held by Mr. Suraj Khatri - Head of Operations UAE of TutorDoctor – an education support service firm with presence in over 15 different countries. Suraj and Tutor Doctor’s vision for education is quite future oriented. Which is why Tutor Doctor functions online, preparing tomorrow’s workforce for a completely digital world. “The pandemic is proof of our technological capacities and cloud-based existence. 2020 brought about such a massive transition in work from the last decade. It only makes sense now that our education also adapts to this transition. Which of course it is. It’s adapting!” says Suraj.
UAE receives huge droves of skilled workforceevery year from different countries. That’s why it’s important for them to design an education system around such global exposure. In fact, the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, regarded as the Father of the Nation, had stressed, “Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from what we’re accustomed to. It is essential that we prepare our children for that world.” You can find this thought echoing through UAE’s education policies.
The country doesn’t just stress on degree-oriented learning anymore, but on progressive learning throughout life to adapt to the dynamisms of this world. In fact, very recently His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, while addressing the youth of the nation, said, “Joining university and getting a degree was the ultimate end of our parents, but I assure you that education will never come to an end.”
Tutor Doctor is currently training thousands of Emirati students, with the vision to cover majority of Emirati students and expats kids in the next 5 years. The company’s system is structured and its close alignment with UAE’s 2040 vision makes it quite plausible for Tutor Doctor to bring majority of students under its wing soon. These kids will be the future of medicine, Data Science, Engineering, Agricultural and more.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
