Pearson, Emirates Aviation University applaud new rules governing vocational qualifications.

The Emirates Aviation University and Pearson have announced their support of changes to the rules governing qualifications recognition in the UAE.

Recently, the UAE'€™s National Qualifications Authority (NQA) and Dubai'€™s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced that international qualifications, such as Pearson's BTEC qualifications, would be recognised throughout the UAE.

Pearson qualifications, including the BTEC National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas, are offered through a number of UAE educational providers. These qualifications, which have long been recognised by awarding agencies around the world, will now also be officially recognised by the UAE government.

Dr Naji Al Mahdi, Chief of Qualifications and Awards at KHDA, was enthusiastic about the benefits UAE recognition of international qualifications will bring. He commented:

“This new recognition service will address challenges faced by young men and women in getting their professional and vocational qualifications recognised in the UAE. The recognition service will provide an official confirmation and validation that an international qualification meets the requirements of a specific level on the National Qualifications Framework for the purpose of employment and progression to higher education”.

The Emirates Aviation University (EAU), which offers several BTEC qualifications, has applauded the announcement. Dr Ahmad Al Ali, Vice Chancellor of EAU believes changes will bring benefits not only to those learners undertaking a professional or vocational qualification, but also organisations looking to recruit suitable trained graduates. He says:

“Undertaking a vocational qualification requires a significant commitment in both time and money.  Learners therefore want to be sure that they are embarking on a programme that will give them the best possible chance of success in future employment. By obtaining recognition, programmes like the Higher National Diploma have been given a mark of quality that assures learners that their chosen qualification adheres to rigorous guidelines. It is also great news for employers, who will now be readily able to identify candidates with a superior qualification and have an understanding of the level of capability associated with that qualification.”

Mark Andrews, Regional Director of Pearson Qualifications in the Middle East acknowledged the important role recognition plays in building a professional and competent vocational workforce. He says:

“The UAE, and wider GCC region are affected by a skills gap where employers are routinely unable to find candidates with the requisite standard of qualifications and competencies, particularly in many vocational areas. The changes to the way vocational qualifications are recognised in the UAE will help to build a more professional vocationally-based workforce, and fill some of the gaps that currently exist in the labour market. By streamlining and simplifying the recognition process, we will hopefully see more people completing high quality vocational programmes and entering employment in in-demand fields”.

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99 students receive medals at Outstanding Academic Achievements Awards Evening

Bahrain: 99 students achieving outstanding results in recent GSCE, IB and A Level exams have been presented with medals at a ceremony held recently in Bahrain recently.

38 of these students were presented with an Award from Pearson, an awarding organisation offering internationally accredited qualifications which include the GSCE, A Level and BTEC qualifications.

The award recipients have all achieved exceptional academic results, and many have gone on to undertake prestigious courses at some of the world’s leading universities, including Mechanical Engineering at Princeton University, Medicine at Ireland’s Royal College of Surgeons, Law at the University of Aberdeen and Architecture at Cornell University.

Approximately 300 educators, parents and students attended the ceremony, held at Saint Christopher’s School, Bahrain.

Nassim Ershaed, Pearson’s Regional Director in Bahrain said he was delighted to hear of the talent coming out of Bahrain’s schools.

“The caliber of graduates on show here today is testament to the standard of education on offer at schools such as St Christopher’s. That these graduates have gone on to undertake arduous degrees at some of the world’s most prestigious universities is testament to the hard work and determination of these graduates, and the excellent grounding provided by their school and their teachers. On behalf of Pearson, I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone receiving an award in this ceremony and I wish them all the very best in their future studies and future careers”.

Zain Husain, who undertook A Level qualifications in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, said he was excited about his future after completing the programme. He is currently studying medicine at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom

“It is great that at Saint Christopher’s students can undertake qualifications that are recognised by some of the best universities in the world, allowing students like myself to gain entry to institutions overseas. I also know that employers here in the Middle East respect qualifications like the A Levels as they are well known for being a sign of quality”.

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Delegation heard from international learning experts and shared best practice ideas in education.

16 delegates from Jordanian and Egyptian schools have gathered in London for Pearson’s annual Education Development Day forum. The trip was facilitated by Pearson and the British Council in Amman and Cairo as a way of sharing international best practice in education.

The delegation gathered at Pearson’s global head offices in London where they heard from education experts about key issues and challenges facing educators. The event was based on three themes:

• Effective solutions to common problems in education.
• Strategies for effective pedagogy.
• Using data to improve student outcomes.

Keynote speakers at the event included:

• Dr Brenda Taggart, an educational researcher and trainer, who delivered the session: Effective Pedagogy in Primary Schools: Evidence from English Research. 
• David Holmes, an education consultant, curriculum advisor and school improvement who facilitator guided the session: Delivering Excellence through Results: Meta Analysis of Student Data to Improve Efficacy of Delivery.
• Mark Griffiths, Director of Research within the Office of the Pearson Chief Education Advisor, who led a discussion entitled: “The Future of School Improvement: From Distractors to Collaboration”.

Mark Griffiths noted the pertinence of the debate around effective school improvement in the Middle East, where governments have committed large sums to achieving measurable improvements in learner outcomes. He said:

“How can we ensure every student achieves at least one year’s progress for one year of schooling? Governments and schools have spent billions of dollars trying to fix education. But evidence shows that many popular solutions have little impact on student learning. In two reports from Pearson, renowned education expert Professor John Hattie explored common policy ‘fixes’ that distract from other, potentially better, solutions. This forum has been an opportunity to learn more about the research of Dr Hattie, allowing delegates to formulate their own responses to it and explore what it means for policy and practice in their own context”.

May Mousa Goussous, Assistant Principal for Students' Affairs at the National Orthodox School in Jordan attended the event. She said:

"The Educational Day event was an unforgettable experience with important updates about Edexcel Qualifications. It was also informative and enriching, with reference to many effective and updated pedagogical issues. The workshops helped us as school administrators to understand how to help our students achieve excellence through the delivery of the Edexcel qualifications. I felt I was in a seminar in a Master's Degree class.”

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On-going teacher training critical to improving educational outcomes in Middle East.

An education expert from Pearson, the world'€™s largest education company, has called on teachers in the region to use the start of the new year as a time to reflect on their professional development needs.

Amanda Collins, Pearson'€™s Director of Professional Development in the region, says that this is a good time of the year for teachers to evaluate what training will help them progress their careers and make them more effective in the classroom. She also notes the role of professional development when it comes to teachers receiving good outcomes in their mid-year reviews.

Ms Collins says:

“This is a fantastic time for teachers to review their current career situation and look at where they want to be by the end of the academic year. It is also an opportunity for teachers to think about the goals of their learners, and the type of training they can undertake that will best help these learners achieve their learning goals.

“Many education agencies throughout the region are becoming increasingly aware of the critical role ongoing professional development can play in raising teaching standards. Also, in some organisations, mid-year teacher performance reviews now also review the professional development efforts of teachers, making professional development programmes a crucial consideration for educators wanting an excellent outcome in their mid-year review”.

According to Ms Collins, professional development and training for educators is one of the best ways a teacher can stay up-to-date with the latest pedagogies, resources and technologies impacting on education, and plays an important role in improving a country’s overall teaching standards.

The Saudi Arabian Government, for example, is currently developing a Math and Science Teacher Programme through the Tawteer Company for Educational Services (T4Edu), and the UAE has sought to improve leadership standards in the Emirates’ schools through the UAE School Leadership Programme. Both initiatives have focused on building capacity throughout the national teaching profession.

A 2014 UNESCO Report found that the Arab World needed to create 1.6 million teaching positions in 2015 if universal education in the region is to be achieved. This figure jumps to 3.3 million by 2030 if the situation is not quickly and properly addressed.

However, Ms Collins stresses that creating new teaching posts alone is not sufficient to improve the region’s educational performance if new and existing teachers do not receive adequate training and access on-going professional development. She says:

“One of the most significant factors impacting a child’s educational attainment is the standard of teaching to which that child is exposed. Pearson’s recent in-depth study into what makes an education system successful or otherwise, the Learning Curve, demonstrated that teachers matter greatly. One of the single most important input variables in education is the quality of teaching. A large part of what makes a great teacher is the level and standard of education and training that teacher has received – and their access to quality, on-going professional development. And effective professional development must not only be about upgrading knowledge, but must also provide an avenue though which teachers can advance their careers in to more senior positions. Evidence demonstrates that the most effective professional development initiatives are those that embed practical, classroom based tasks that encourage real change in teacher behaviour. If we can provide our local teachers with professional development opportunities that fulfil these criteria than both teachers and those they teach will see meaningful returns”.

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New blog focuses international expertise on Middle East region.

Pearson has announced the launch of its new Middle East Education Blog, which will provide education stakeholders timely access to global education research and expertise. The new blog will draw on international expertise in education from across the region and around the world, with guest bloggers including some of the world's best known and most respected authorities.

The blog will feature weekly updates covering a spectrum of topics dealing with educational challenges and opportunities faced by countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Posts will deal with a variety of issues, including how to best harness the talents of the regionâ s current youth population and how technology can be exploited to promote learning outcomes.

Contributors will include education experts from Pearson itself, as well as leading education voices from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Karim Daoud, who leads Pearson’s business in the Middle East and who will contribute to the blog, says it is a great way for education stakeholders to stay informed:

“Education is undergoing a period of rapid transformation, with new ideas and new products entering the industry at an unprecedented pace. The Pearson Middle East Education Blog will provide regular and timely insights and advice about what is happening in the world of education, relaying stories, projects and innovations from around the globe, and discussing what these developments mean for educators and learners in the Middle East. I am confident that this blog will become a ‘must read’ for educators, school leaders and education policy makers”.

Sue Mainey, Director of Marketing for Pearson in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia says that the purpose of the blog is to provide up-to-date information and promote meaningful conversation amongst the education community.

“We have designed this blog as a forum to engage those from the education sector in the most important debates impacting on successful education outcomes, both here in the Middle East, and further abroad. Whilst the blog will be a great way to access information, it will also be an environment in which informed players can provide their experiences and expertise, stimulating the kind of conversations we need to have in order to improve educational outcomes at all levels”.

The blog will be launched in December and can be accessed at https://middleeast.pearson.com/Blogsocialmedia/Blog.html

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Dr Kathy McKnight provides guidance to local math and science teachers.

Dr Kathy McKnight, Head of the Center for Educator Learning and Effectiveness at the Pearson Research and Innovation Network in Washington has visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Dr McKnight has used her visit to the region to demonstrate the important role teachers’ play when it comes to improving learner outcomes, especially in the math and science fields. Dr McKnight led educator focused events in Riyadh and Dubai, where she spoke of how math and science teachers can drive student engagement and results.

The visit by Dr McKnight is timely, as both the Saudi and UAE Governments place renewed focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education as a way of improving national productivity. Officials in both countries recognise that generating expertise in the STEM disciplines is a key way to diversify Gulf economies away from oil and propagate more sustainable, knowledge based industries. 

In March of this year, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) made changes to the curriculum that will see STEM subjects make up half of the unified state school curriculum for years 10 to 12. In Saudi Arabia, the Government has undertaken several initiatives to boost math and science education, which include the Math and Science Teacher Development Programme, being run by the Tatweer Company for Educational Services (T4Edu) in conjunction with Pearson.

Dr McKnight says it is teachers – at both a primary and tertiary level – that will be the most important players in seeing improvement in educational indicators for these subjects.

“When it comes to improving students outcomes, teacher effectiveness is the most important school related factor. Teachers have the power to motivate, inspire and guide their learners in a way that no one else can. This is especially important for our math and science educators as new information and technologies are constantly being made available in the market. We need to ensure our math and science teachers have up-to-date knowledge and access to ongoing professional development training so they have the tools and resources necessary to drive learner results. The success of recent regional policies to promote math and science learning will depend largely on how we support the educators responsible for implementing these curriculum changes”.

Dr Khalaf Al Mufleh, Curriculum and Assessment Director of Riyadh Schools who attended the Saudi Arabia event says having experts of Dr McKnight’s stature is a great way to inspire local teachers to help their math and science learners achieve. He says:

“Dr McKnight is known globally for her research into what makes a teacher effective, so we are absolutely delighted to have her here in the Middle East working with local leaders and teachers to impart her knowledge. She has offered real insight into what we can do in a professional sense to raise the standard of math and science instruction in our schools, and I believe the lessons we have learnt here today will have a real and lasting impact on our students”.

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Region-wide service reflects growing digital education trend.

Pearson announces today that a new Customer Contact Centre will be launched in the Middle East, catering to the needs of digital customers across the region.

The new service team, based in a state-of-the-art centre in Cairo, will provide telephone, email, web-form and chat support for a series of Pearson digital products across the higher education and schools markets. The service will be available in both English and Arabic.

The new service will be fully functional by the start of the new academic year in September, when demand for support is at its highest. All calls will be taken by a team of locally-based, highly-trained tech experts. In the instance of complex and difficult enquiries, Pearson's support teams in the United States and United Kingdom can also be called on to resolve customer issues.

Pearson says the new service will:

• Provide highly responsive, accurate and flexible support to its regional customers.
• Establish a more consistent and scalable approach to customer support in the Middle East.
• Ensure Pearson digital customers can utilise the full features and benefits of their digital products as easily as possible.

Mr Alex Moore, Head of Pearson’s Gulf, Egypt and Maghreb markets says of the new Centre:

 

“Pearson’s new Customer Support Centre in Cairo brings together local and international expertise to ensure Pearson customers get the help they need, in English or Arabic, when they need it. We have invested significant resources to make this new service highly accessible to all our digital customers in the region so that they can enjoy fast, reliable advice from technical experts, and enjoy maximum benefit from their digital product. Our aim is to make teaching and learning more engaging and ultimately more effective, and the establishment of the new Customer Contact Centre in Cairo is one way we are achieving this goal in the Middle East”.

 

Dr. Wassim Daher from Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait says the new service is welcomed by both learners and educators.

 

"Having a service that educators and learners can easily access is vital to being able to use digital products in the classroom effectively. My students are often working to tight deadlines, so for them to be able to rely on Pearson's new Customer Support Centre when they are working hard to get an assignment or assessment in on time is important. For educators like me, it is assuring to know that I can access accurate support through a simple phone call or email. It makes my job easier and allows me to focus on helping my students achieve their best results".

 

The new service will be available to Pearson customers from August 9th 2015. To access the centre via telephone, email, web-form or online chat, Pearson customers can visit http://support.pearson.com.

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