Education & Health
From The Report: Sharjah 2021
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With regular activities severely disrupted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in Sharjah had to shift quickly to online learning and integrate new health protocols when in-person instruction resumed. Rapid adoption helped the emirate maintain its position as a regional centre for education. Hospitals and clinics, meanwhile, devoted substantial resources to testing and care to fight the novel coronavirus. Priorities established before the pandemic, as well as lessons learned in 2020, are now shaping the education and health sectors in 2021. One of the primary short-term goals of the Sharjah authorities is to manage the pandemic, and ensure education and health services continue with minimal disruption.

This chapter contains interviews with Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson, Sharjah Private Education Authority; and Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman, Sharjah Health Authority.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Ongoing provision: The authorities deploy e-learning solutions, and ramp up testing and vaccination to ensure the continuation of social services
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Quality education and health services is important to ensure growth and productivity. With regular activities severely disrupted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools had to shift quickly to online learning and integrate new health protocols when in-person instruction resumed. Quick adoption helped the emirate maintain its position as a regional centre for education. Hospitals and clinics, meanwhile, devoted substantial resources to testing and care to fight the novel coronavirus. Priorities…

Interview

Effective response: Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson, Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), on the successful transition to online learning
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Interview:Muhadditha Al Hashimi How did private schools in Sharjah respond to the various challenges arising from the pandemic? MUHADDITHA AL HASHIMI: The pandemic led to widespread social and financial hardships that affected families and companies. However, private schools in Sharjah responded appropriately to the crisis. Most schools did not reduce teacher salaries and refrained from making non-teaching staff redundant. Some schools extended financial support to struggling families through…

Analysis

Major makeover: Institutions in the GCC are making substantial and potentially permanent changes to teaching methods and business models
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The initial wave of lockdowns in early 2020 prompted education entities to rapidly move to teaching online. While this broad-based shift towards digital learning has largely been reactive, in many cases it accelerated an existing transition to a more blended and technologically oriented approach. However, further investment and policy initiatives are required – including digital literacy training for both students and educators, and the establishment of national guidelines and standards. In parallel…

Analysis

Bigger picture: Higher education institutions play a key role in meeting the needs of the region’s post-Covid-19 economy
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While higher education institutions have been effective in developing short-term solutions to some of the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, they can also play a key role in realising long-term governmental development strategies that can boost the prospects of a sustainable recovery. This is a particularly pressing issue for countries in the Gulf, many of which are deploying long-term strategies to reduce their dependence on hydrocarbons revenues. Driving Transformation One prominent…

Interview

Next-generation care: Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman, Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), on utilising technology and innovation to attract investment and improve service provision
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Interview:Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan Which factors are shaping the development of the health sector in Sharjah? ABDULLA ALI AL MAHYAN: The UAE’s health care market is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10% between 2019 and 2023. Moreover, by 2025 the population of Sharjah alone is expected to reach nearly 2m, which will require an increase in the number of dedicated health care facilities. The SHA and Sharjah Healthcare City (SHCC) are working to meet this…