Abstract
This introductory chapter provides an overview of education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It also acts as a preview for the analyses of the various education sectors in the chapters that follow: Early Childhood Education, K–12 Education, Higher Education, Arabic Language Education, STEM Education, English Language Education, Teacher Education, Special Education, and Quality Assurance in Education. The two distinct stages in the country’s educational development thus far are outlined here: the initial establishment and expansion of the education system, followed by the current focus on improving its quality. The structure and funding of the UAE’s contemporary education system is described, and the significance of innovation and transformation is discussed. Salient primary themes in contemporary education that recur throughout the subsequent chapters of the book are set out, including the impact of the country’s demographics on education, the relative roles of national citizens and resident non-citizens in education, the differences in regional provision for education within the country, and the contrast between public and private schooling.
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Notes
- 1.
The Common Educational Proficiency Assessment (CEPA) consisted of two standardised national tests, an English test and a Math test. School leavers had to sit the English test if they wished to study at a federal tertiary institution in the UAE, while some tertiary institutions required the Math test also. CEPA was replaced by another standardised national test, EMSAT, in 2016.
- 2.
The International English Language Test (IELTS) is a standardised international skills-based test of English language proficiency. Test takers from the UAE consistently score amongst the lowest out of 40 countries worldwide, with an overall score of 4.9 reported in the academic English module for 2017 (IELTS, nd).
- 3.
The Trends in International Math and Science Study test (TIMSS) is a standardised international test of student achievement in Math and Science, conducted every 4 years. Test takers of Mathematics in the UAE perform better than most Arab countries, but are still below the global average (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Hooper, 2016).
- 4.
In 2017, Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) which was initially established in 2005 as a breakaway entity from the Dubai-based UAE Ministry of Education (MOE), and which spearheaded the reformation of state schooling in Abu Dhabi for more than a decade, was disbanded and re-amalgamated as a department of MOE.
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Gallagher, K. (2019). Introduction: Education in the UAE—Context and Themes. In: Gallagher, K. (eds) Education in the United Arab Emirates. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7736-5_1
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