UAE FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL REFORM: RESHAPING CIVICS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 003463 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2016 TAGS: KDEM KPAO OEXC SOCI AE SUBJECT: UAE FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL REFORM: RESHAPING CIVICS AND ISLAMIC INSTRUCTION REF: A. 04 DUBAI 005252 ¶B. ABU DHABI 03140 ¶C. ABU DHABI 03344 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CDA, MARTIN QUINN FOR REASONS 1.4 (b)&(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The UAEG is taking steps in the direction of educational reform. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has made substantial changes to its curriculum, including civics and Islamic studies programs, and is placing greater emphasis on critical thinking and active learning. The highest levels of UAEG leadership are focused on reforming both the subject matter and who is doing the teaching. During a July 29 lunch meeting, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said the UAE had stopped sending its Islamic studies students to Saudi Arabia due to concern over extremist views among Saudi teachers. A critical component of the UAE's educational reform involves raising the quality of educators and ensuring they do not have extremist leanings. At the same July 29 meeting the UAE Foreign Minister said that even a moderate curriculum, if taught by a teacher with a "twisted mind," is dangerous. Noting the importance of educating youth, the Foreign Minister stated categorically that "we cannot have radical Muslims running our schools, no matter what subjects they may be experts in." On August 7, Econoff was told by Dr. Obeid Al-Muhairi, Director of the Curriculum Reform Center at the Ministry of Education (MOE) that the Crown Prince finances curriculum reform for civic education because this issue is "very important to the UAEG leadership." End Summary. -------------- Background: Secondary Education -------------- ¶2. (SBU) There are three types of secondary schools in the UAE: 1) general education (high schools),2) technical schools, and 3) Islamic schools. Formerly, students were only required to attend school through ninth grade and the drop out rate after ninth grade was 25 percent. However, drop out figures have declined significantly in recent years; current rate is now only eight percent. Starting with the 2006-2007 school year, it will be compulsory for students to attend school through twelfth grade. 33,000 UAE national students graduated from general education programs in 2006, compared to approximately 300 students from technical high schools and 600 students from Islamic secondary schools. Only the emirates of Dubai, Ajman, and Al Ain maintain Islamic schools. Students in the Islamic schools primarily study the Koran, but are also tested in academic subjects such as math and English. -------------- -------------- Civics instruction as preparation for Democracy? -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Currently, civics education is taught in grades one through twelve. Students learn about the UAE Constitution, the federal system, ministries, the Consultative Council and the concept of elections. Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, grades ten through twelve will begin classes covering such topics as negotiation, democracy, and elections. Ali Al-Suwaidi, Assistant Under Secretary of Human Resources, Planning and Development at the Ministry of Education, believes civics classes are valuable since elections in the UAE are "inevitable." Secondary schools are allowed to have student body elections, but only a few schools, such as the Abu Dhabi Secondary School, have elected student councils. Although Al-Suwaidi says he wants to promote social studies and democracy in the classroom, he stated that any mention of Israel is automatically redacted from textbooks in both public and private schools since the UAE does not formally recognize the state of Israel. ¶4. (SBU) In August 7 meeting with Econoff, Dr. Obeid Al-Muhairi, Director of Curriculum Development at the MOE, explained that the MOE recently revised the social studies and civics classes to include more active learning, learning in groups, and interaction between students. In 2003, the MOE adopted what he called the "Texas model" for social studies and civics classes and began teaching civics and social studies in the first grade. Prior to the revised curriculum, students did not study civics until the fourth grade. The social studies and civics classes concentrate on issues relevant to the lives of children in the UAE. The classes introduce concepts of sharing opinions, discussing one's thoughts, ideas and beliefs, and being active as a citizen of the UAE. Although civics instruction begins in first grade, the concept of democracy is not introduced until the sixth grade. While the MOE is making progress in reforming its curriculum, not all grades use the new curriculum. In the 2006-2007 school year, only grades one through five and ABU DHABI 00003463 002 OF 003 grades nine and ten will use the reformed civics curriculum. Other grades will begin using the new curriculum in the 2007-2008 school year. ¶5. (SBU) Under the new curriculum, students learn about government institutions and how elections work. Al-Muhairi said the MOE is teaching democracy and civics "because the UAE will have elections soon." "It is very important to teach the concept of democracy so that people will be ready for democracy when it comes to the UAE -- to ensure that democracy will not be a foreign concept." Estimating that democracy will come to the UAE within the next ten years, Al-Muhairi perceives the upcoming Federal National Council (FNC) elections as a "step in the right direction" (Ref C). -------------- Islamic Instruction: Avoiding Extremism -------------- ¶6. (C) Senior UAEG leaders are expressing clear interest in education reform, in particular the Islamic studies component of the general curriculum. During a July 29 lunch meeting with USG visitors (Ref B),Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ) said the UAE had stopped sending its Islamic studies students to Saudi Arabia due to concern over the extremist views of Saudi teachers. (Note. New Minister of Education, appointed last year, Dr. Haneef Hasan Al Ali is himself a graduate of Umm Al Qura University in Mecca, but is strongly reform-minded, having been hand-picked by UAEG leadership to head and revamp a conservative Ministry resistant to change. End Note.) The Crown Prince also remarked that very few UAE students are being sent to Egypt and that he wants to see diminished Egyptian influence in UAE schools because, as he put it, "every Egyptian cleric seems to be supporting Hizballah" (Ref B). ¶7. (C) Rote memorization of the Koran, characteristic of most Islamic education, has prompted reform of the Islamic studies' curriculum in UAE schools ) including sharp reduction in the number of verses to be memorized. The MOE also reformed the Islamic studies curriculum so that each grade studies the Koran in modules. The modules include: 1) the revelation of the Koran to the Prophet Mohammad, 2) the application of the Koran to daily life, 3) stories about the Prophet's life, 4) biographies of persons who have influenced Islam throughout history, regarded as role models for youth, 5) Islam and the environment, and 6) Islam and the human race, which examines how cultures interact and how Muslims may coexist peacefully with people from other cultures and religions. All modules are taught in each grade, starting with basic concepts in primary and middle school, increasing in complexity throughout secondary school. ¶8. (C) The MOE developed its own Islamic studies curriculum after studying the systems in Bahrain and Qatar. Al-Muhairi concluded that the models used in other Gulf countries were "too extreme." The revised Islamic studies curriculum, adopted in UAE, is approved by Al Azhar, the oldest Islamic university in the world, often seen as a voice of moderate Islam. The UAE is reportedly the first country to use the Al Azhar-approved model of teaching Islamic studies; other Arab countries may adopt the same modules in their educational systems, according to Al-Muhairi who stated that the Ministry has presented the model to Education Ministries throughout the Gulf and that all Gulf states, except Saudi Arabia, are interested in adopting the UAE model. With the exception of the Islamic schools, Islamic studies are taught for three hours per week in UAE secondary schools. In contrast, Saudi Arabia apparently requires twelve hours of Islamic instruction per week. -------------- Background checks and teacher training: Who is educating the UAE youth? -------------- ¶9. (C) A critical component of the UAE's educational reform program involves raising the quality of its educators and ensuring that they neither possess nor transmit extremist leanings. During the above referenced July 29 meeting, Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (AbZ) declared that even a moderate curriculum, if taught by a teacher with a "twisted mind," is dangerous. Noting the importance of educating youth, the Foreign Minister remarked categorically that "we cannot have radical Muslims running our schools; no matter what subjects they may be experts in" (Ref B). The same sentiment was expressed by Dr. Al-Muhairi who believes the UAE needs "balanced, moderate" teachers. To ensure that it employs "moderate" employees, the MOE began conducting background checks on all employees in 2004, including Emirati nationals. However, the depth of the background check ABU DHABI 00003463 003 OF 003 depends on the employee,s nationality. According to Al-Muhairi, some background checks currently under review will not be completed before the school year starts in September, creating a situation in which the Ministry will be short on teachers. ¶10. (C) Recognizing that the MOE lacks qualified teachers, Dr. Al-Muhairi said the MOE is working on a solution to the problem. Each Emirate has its own mandatory teacher training program. The teachers learn teaching methods that encourage interactive teaching and independent research. The training programs increasingly require more work from the teachers since they are now required to conduct &research8 and other learning apart from the textbooks; Al-Muhairi said that many do not like the added workload and complain about these new demands. Beginning in September, the MOE will no longer hire teachers who do not possess either a teacher's certificate or a degree in education. Teachers currently employed by the MOE who do not possess a certificate or a degree in education will need to qualify within the next two years. In addition, Al-Muhairi said that all teachers will be required to speak English since the language is needed in order to conduct research, search the Internet and develop new teaching materials. -------------- -------------- Emiratization: Push for UAE Nationals to become Teachers -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Currently, there are 9,000 male and 14,000 female teachers in UAE public schools. Government schools are separated by gender and teachers must be the same gender as the students. Due to the shortage of male teachers, females often teach the boys, classes via digital video conferencing. Only ten percent of the teachers are UAE national (Emirati) males. The MOE wants to increase the numbers of UAE national male teachers and plans to provide incentives in order to attract more to the teaching profession. Currently, all teachers earn 11,000 Dhs (2997 USD) a month. However, Abu Dhabi Emirate also gives an extra 3000 Dhs (817 USD) a month to Emirati male teachers. The MOE also plans to give nationwide incentives to encourage male Emirati students to study education and qualify as teachers. -------------- Budget Concerns -------------- ¶12. (SBU) In 2006, the UAEG allocated 36.6 percent of its total budget to education- 7.2 billion Dhs (almost 2 billion USD). The 2006 education budget represents a 500 million Dhs (136 million USD) increase from last year's budget of 6.7 billion Dhs (1.8 billion USD). The budget was increased to introduce modern technology applications and develop student's educational and scientific skills. The Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai both supplement federal education funding. As such, the schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are better funded and have more resources. The MOE is considering allowing schools to have more autonomy in deciding how they spend their money and may implement rules similar to the United States' &No Child Left Behind8 law which gives school districts and principals flexibility in spending federal education funds in exchange for accountability for student results. On August 22, Dr. Haneef Hasan Al Ali, Minister of Education, told Charge and PAO that more decision-making will be devolved to school principals and that all principals will soon be required to undergo training in how to administer schools, encourage creativity and handle budgets. -------------- Comment: Much work still ahead -------------- ¶13. (C) Comment: While there are encouraging signs that the UAE is taking major steps towards educational reform, the public school system has been under-funded for many years and much work remains to be done. Census data showing that over 50 percent of the citizen population is under the age of twenty underscores the pressure now being placed on the education system. The initiative to revise curricula has been prompted by recognition from the UAE leadership of serious, politically dangerous, and potentially destabilizing deficiencies. The installation last year of a reform-minded Minister with Islamic academic credentials to preside over a conservative, hide-bound Ministry of Education, offers some prospect for gradual change over time -) provided both the reformist drive and the all-important funding stream are maintained. End comment. QUINN