(WAM) — The Ministry of Education, MoE, announced the implementation of the “Alef Platform” in all UAE public schools, which will allow the ministry to use the Alef Platform to achieve its goals of developing a digital education system capable of adapting with all possible changes caused due to COVID-19 pandemic and turn the challenges faced in distance learning into promising opportunities.

Alef Education will launch its innovative award-winning, AI-powered Alef Platform in 196 schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah in stages, the final of which will be by December 2020.

The initiative aims at providing the UAE’s educational system with the latest innovations in digital education including AI and Big Data. This will facilitate the achievement of the national agenda of the United Arab Emirates, which includes developing a first-rate educational system. This programme serves the UAE’s futuristic strategies and supports the application of smart education in the UAE to provide students with world-class education that fulfills their educational needs.

The Alef Platform will be used to teach 40,000 plus students from the fifth to the ninth grades the six core subjects, namely: Arabic Language, Mathematics, Science, Islamic Studies, Social Studies and English Language with a plan to cover grades 10,11 and 12 during the next academic year. Teachers and students will also have access to several academic programs to support them throughout their journey in self-learning. Additionally, Alef Education will conduct virtual sessions for teachers on a monthly basis to cover the new upgrades in the platform with focus on the practices that give impetus to the learning process.

Eng. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, affirmed that the UAE seeks to consolidate its educational system and aspirations for the future of education by laying the foundation for a flexible and effective virtual learning ecosystem that meets UAE’s ambitions and goals. He also stated that practical steps are being taken within a deliberate strategic timeline to ensure that the educational needs and requirements are fulfilled throughout the educational journey in the UAE.

Al Hammadi said, “The strategic vision of the Ministry of Education is built on a futuristic vision to develop an educational system that is up-to-date with the current developments in technology and capable of enhancing the intellectual skills of our students to enable them to unravel their creative potentials.”

He further added that the educational system in the UAE, in cooperation with the MoE’s strategic partners, including Alef Education, is equipped to overcome any challenges by applying the best practices in the educational sector and utilising competitive and innovative styles in education that help support remote learning.

“The strategic partnership between the Ministry of Education and Alef Education will result in improved learning outcomes by creating an attractive learning environment that engages students and motivates them to gain further knowledge and to think critically, making learning more engaging for the future generations and a way to achieve success in their future lives.”

Geoffrey Alphonso, CEO at Alef Education, said, “We are truly honoured with this strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education to build upon our success in the Abu Dhabi Emirate and now unify the digital education experience across the nation.”

Alphonso also pointed out that the objectives of the expansion would be to further advance Alef Education’s AI footprint and create broader level analysis to help contribute to the short and long term National Education goals of the UAE.