Dubai: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi said that Qatar has prioritised the application of ‘Green Education’ concept as part of its efforts to achieving sustainable development and supporting national efforts towards the environment, through a package of purposeful policies, programmes, activities and events.
Addressing the conference of Green Education and Sustainable development, which was held on the sidleins of COP28 in Dubai-UAE, he explained that these policies, programs and activities include the integration of school curricula in addressing environmental education concepts; encouraging research related to environmental challenges and sustainability; supporting digital transformation to protect the environment by reducing the consumption of paper resources; and promoting digital transformation in schools and universities, to name a few.
Al Naimi presented the Ministry’s efforts to promote green education and develop awareness of sustainability and environmental issues through integration between school curricula in addressing environmental education concepts under the slogan “Towards a Generation Familiar with Environmental Issues”; focusing on issues of environmental appreciation, maintaining environmental balance, protecting the environment from pollution.
He also reviewed the challenges facing the world represented by climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, epidemics and other challenges, noting that the shift towards a more sustainable future depends largely on developing the minds of emerging generations with an understanding based on belonging, respect and responsibility to effectively preserve and develop the environment. Al Naimi also participated in a panel discussion on the role of the knowledge based economy in promoting the economic diversification of the State of Qatar, which was held as a side event in the pavilion of the State of Qatar participating in COP28.
He underlined integrating green skills into educational curricula to raise a generation of students ready to contribute to sustainable development, indicating the importance of identifying priority green skills that must be integrated into various academic disciplines, and understanding the green skills required currently and in the future. Al Naimi gave example with the model of the European Union and several other countries in identifying green skills that are in high demand to form a vision for the future economy. This proactive approach contributes to reshaping educational curricula to keep pace with evolving needs over time, he said.
