"UAE Lags in Provision of Primary Education": WEF

The UAE needs to invest in the provision of primary education, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the country currently sits in 98th place out of 144 countries surveyed in this particular area.

The findings were revealed in the WEF’s annual Global Competitiveness Report which was unveiled yesterday, and echoes the recent pain of parents in the UAE who have been struggling to find nursery and primary places.

There is better news in higher education where the UAE is ranked ninth of all countries surveyed. The WEF report contains specific suggestions on how the UAE can improve its ranking in the annual index:

“Raising the bar with respect to education will require not only measures to improve the quality of teaching and the relevance of curricula, but also measures to provide stronger incentives for the population to attend schools at the primary and secondary levels.”

Overall the report makes positive reading for the UAE as it rose seven places to 12th in the list and is adjudged the most competitive economy in the Middle East. The country’s institutional framework, infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, and ICT use have all improved, according to the report’s authors. They sum up the key strengths:

“Overall, the country’s competitiveness reflects the high quality of
its infrastructure, where it ranks an excellent 3rd, as well as its highly efficient goods markets (3rd). A strong macroeconomic environment (5th) and some positive aspects of the country’s institutions—such as strong public trust in politicians (3rd) and high government efficiency (5th)—round out the list of competitive advantages.”

Infographic: The UAE's competitiveness