We do not want holders of certificates who have no weight in the labor market. He warns against compromising on the conditions of quality education

The President of the Federal National Council, Saqr Ghobash, stressed the importance of maintaining the quality of education, so that we do not have certificate holders as just a title without any weight in the labor market. Meanwhile, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation – Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research – revealed that 32% of requests to regularize the status of citizen students studying abroad were rejected, due to the universities in which they were registered not meeting the mandatory conditions of the decision to govern the study of higher education for citizen students outside the country.

Al-Awar said: “The governance decision was issued by the Education, Human Development and Community Council with the aim of ensuring the quality of education that the student receives, whether at his own expense or within scholarship programmes. The applications for regularization received by the Ministry were reviewed, and 68% of them were approved. As for the applications rejected by the committee, the Ministry was tasked with providing alternative proposals for their majors, and referring them to other universities that offer similar programmes. However, some universities refused to accept the programs they studied, which confirms that the decision to reject some applications was “Sound.”

He added: “There is a personal investment by some individuals in studying at universities outside the country, which we later discovered will not have their degrees recognized. We aim for the student to hold a master’s or doctoral degree after acquiring the knowledge and skill required in this specialty,” stressing that the decision to govern the study of higher education for citizen students outside the country aims to ensure that the student acquires knowledge and skill that rises to the level to which the country aspires, and enables him to participate effectively in society and the national economy.

For his part, Saqr Ghobash stressed that the problem with some citizens studying in universities that do not meet the standards was due to the lack of prior controls from the government, indicating that the establishment of a committee to address this problem reflects its seriousness in preparing graduates who possess the required knowledge and skills.

Ghobash addressed the council members, saying: “We should not put pressure on the government to accept low grades in high school or recognize any university’s certificates, so that we do not reach a situation where our diploma holders are just a title and have no weight in the labor market. We need quality education, and ensuring this quality is caring for our children. Therefore, we must stay away from sentimentality in exerting pressure on the government to give up on basic conditions for the quality of education, and pay attention to the importance of quality so that we do not find graduates suffering in the labor market.”

He pointed to an employment study that showed that the number of graduates of technical colleges accepted into the labor market exceeds other universities, attributing this to the market’s need for specific technical skills.

Ghobash concluded his speech by reminding members of the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” when he spoke about the future after the oil runs out, stressing that education is the foundation on which we will rely, stressing at the same time the importance of quality education, which requires the Council to pay constant attention to this point.