A UAE initiative has been launched to train 10,000 teachers in digital skills in the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.
Under the Digital School programme, it has been launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
It aims to equip male and female teachers with digital teaching skills through an advanced training programme organised in partnership with Arizona State University in the US. Training will be offered in Kurdish, Arabic and English to broaden participation and ensure inclusivity.
The project’s first phase, implemented with the support of Dubai Cares, resulted in the training and certification of 2,400 digital teachers. That has now been expanded to 10,000.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of the Board of the Digital School, said it marks an important step in developing a generation of digital teachers capable of integrating technology, creativity and critical thinking into education.
What is the Digital School?
The Digital School was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in November 2020. It aims to empower students with digital learning options, offering a choice for blended and remote learning in a smart and flexible manner.
The school targets underprivileged communities, refugees, and displaced people worldwide by leveraging digital education and providing contemporary curriculums. The project has so far benefitted more than 750,000 students and trained more than 23,000 digital teachers, the state news agency Wam reported.
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A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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