SPEA launches its strategy 2022-2024

This is in line with the latest global trends and the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah concerning education and human development, as well as the direction of Sharjah. 

The 2022-2024 strategy is aligned with the emirate’s vision to provide outstanding education and a mission to grow the education community, while achieving impressive outcomes through effective learning services.

It further outlines some of the general characteristics of the plans and initiatives of the SPEA for 2022-2024 and builds upon the achievements of its first edition. Additionally, it analyses the current input of the private education sector in Sharjah, adopting some of the best international methodologies, while considering the most important lessons learned during the last two years, amid the exceptional circumstances that have impacted the global educational scene. 

The comprehensive strategy focuses on various elements of the private education system in the emirate, including educational institutions, schools, kindergartens, training institutes, teachers, parents, and all recipients and beneficiaries of private education. It also outlines a roadmap for educational institutions and other entities associated with the SPEA -- joining hands with strategic partners and stakeholders to develop an integrated vision to improve the governance and efficiency of education. 

Furthermore, the strategy seeks to: lay the foundations for a more stimulating and engaging learning environment, establish a culture of innovation in teaching, develop a new generation of institutional leaders, and equip students with more competitive skills in order to meet the needs and requirements of the modern workforce.  

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the SPEA, confirmed that the launch of the new strategy is part of SPEA's efforts to improve the efficiency and quality of education in the emirate, which is directly aligned with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to enhance the role of education as a cornerstone of human development. 
Al Hashimi added: “Despite the exceptional circumstances and unprecedented challenges that we are still experiencing due to the global health crisis, we have been able to reach new levels of educational excellence. The educational community in the emirate has continued to thrive, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the concerned entities, partners, and flexible regulatory frameworks. This allowed us to quickly adapt to the ‘new normal’ and ensure consistency in the learning process without interruption.”

The SPEA’s Strategy 2022-2024 was developed with the support of experts, leaders, and high-profile academicians including 25 governmental and educational leaders, 11 education experts representing 12 governmental and private agencies, and five international institutions. In an effort to keep pace with the rapid global changes, more than 25 international reports on the development of educational patterns and methodologies in the era of artificial intelligence and digital transformation were covered, also including recommendations on how to bridge the gap between educational outcomes and labour market demands.

The SPEA's strategy also covers priorities and a core focus for its future initiatives, which include enhancing the quality of life of the educational community;promoting confidence in the quality of education; fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, and continuous learning, as well as encouraging Sharjah's competitiveness in the education sector. It also adopts a set of objectives, including the development of learners’ personal life and cognitive skills, strengthening educational capabilities for an extraordinary learning experience, developing personal, human and cognitive skills for learners; developing learning capabilities to deliver an exceptional learning experience, and constructing learning paths for all categories such as the gifted and people of determination. Additionally, it promotes partnerships to enhance a proactive educational system, develops an  agile educational environment that fosters future needs, and attracts new investors to the emirate’s education sector. 

Al Hashimi stated that the Authority has been successfully achieving significant changes at the school level in terms of enhancing the quality of education in Sharjah since its establishment in 2018. The organization has been formed through an Emiri decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. 

Since the Authority has taken over the management of private education institutions such as nurseries, schools, centers, and institutes, several important projects and initiatives have been introduced. Some of the most important of these initiatives launched by the Ruler of Sharjah to advance education in the emirate are the ‘My School is Most Beautiful’ initiative, which rolled out a total of AED 50 million to improve and beautify the school facilities in Sharjah; the ‘Your Children are Safe’ initiative, which aims to track students on buses from the moment they leave their homes until after the end of the school day, and the provision of the free ‘Zulal water’ to all private schools and nurseries in Sharjah. Another completed key project was the appointment of the first batch of teachers of Arabic language and Islamic education affiliated with the ‘Teacher and Proud’ program, which was launched to enable university graduates to practice their teaching ofession in private schools in Sharjah. It was part of the Sultan Al Qasimi project for the Emiratisation of the private sector. The Sharjah Education Academy was also unveiled in line with the directives of the Ruler of Sharjah to enhance the skills of teachers given their significant role in improving the education system. 

Emphasizing its commitment to advance private education in Sharjah, SPEA seeks to promote knowledge and learning across generations, offer high-quality education services that meet the needs of the education community, provide education opportunities for all, and establish a healthy, safe and productive learning environment for all.  The Authority also aims to build a teaching staff according to the highest professional and ethical levels, as well as extend services designed in partnership with community groups.  

Ali Al Hosani, Director of SPEA noted: "The smart approach, wise guidance, and direct support provided by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, has led to the modernization of science and education as well as the intellectual and cultural development in Sharjah. We are committed to implementing the full range of our new strategic programs, plans, and initiatives, inspired by the determination and far-reaching vision of our wise leadership to turn challenges into opportunities."

Under the 2022-2024 strategy, SPEA plans to implement 24 initiatives which include the adoption of four areas aimed at strategically empowering private education through governance, sustainability, efficiency of private education, optimizing digital capabilities and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. 

These empowerment programs seek to enable the private education sector in the emirate to keep pace with trends in governance to enhance management and institutional processes, as well as respond to developments in the educational landscape. It also aims to address needs to enhance data resources and accelerate digitization to ensure the continuity, quality, and competitiveness of the learning process.

To ensure efficient implementation and quality of results, SPEA has developed eight strategic performance indicators and identified implementation and growth ratios to be completed by the end of 2024. Measurable indicators include: achieving quality of life standards for the education community in private education institutions in Sharjah (80 per cent); improving the level of performance of education institutions in accordance with the approved evaluation framework (70 per cent), increasing the confidence of the education community in the services provided in education institutions in the Emirate of Sharjah (90 per cent); deploying proactive digital services (100 per cent); preparing and training education professionals in line with future requirements (100 per cent); increasing investments in education (20 per cent); improving the results in international benchmark tests (20 per cent);  building 20 effective partnerships for skills development, and to bridge gaps between basic and university education and the market.