Forum begins on knowledge society

A three-day summit launches tomorrow to improve education around the Gulf

DUBAI // More than 100 sessions are planned for the fourth Global Education Forum, which begins in Dubai tomorrow and runs for three days.

The forum is organised in association with the Ministry of Education and will feature roundtable sessions on ways to create a knowledge society in the Middle East.

Dr Abdalla Mohamed al Amiri, adviser to the minister, said: "The forum is a platform for educators, policymakers and people in the education system to discuss ways of improving student outcomes, school life and citizenship."

Dr Naji al Mahdi, executive director at the National Institute for Vocational Education in Dubai, will address myths associated with vocational study. He said the education system hadr failed to keep up with technology and the aspirations of young people.

He noted that vocational education was often seen as an option for when students hit a dead end academically.

"In reality, vocational education is a career-oriented education," he said. "Every job is a vocation at the end of the day."

He said students who enrol for vocational education were often looked down on because of misconceptions.

"They are also denied the opportunity of going to university for further education. This is how we do it in this part of the world and it is wrong."