Doha, Qatar: In a groundbreaking partnership, the UNESCO Regional office for the Gulf States and Yemen and the Arab Educational Training Centre for the Gulf States (AETCGS) announce the launch of two key training toolkits developed to support educators, institutions, and education actors advance inclusive education practices and harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) within educational frameworks.
The Inclusive Education Toolkit offers officers in the Ministries of Education (MOEs) in the Gulf States and Yemen essential resources, strategies and methodologies aimed at fostering equitable, accessible and inclusive learning environments for all learners, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.
The Artificial Intelligence and Education Toolkit is designed to be used as a training framework for staff at the Ministries of Education (MOE) in the Gulf States and Yemen and for stakeholders working in different areas of education. It aims to ensure that users achieve an appropriate level of critical literacy in both the human and technological dimensions of Artificial Intelligence. The toolkit provides essential insights into foundational knowledge and theories on Artificial Intelligence and education, and related normative frameworks; and a deeper understanding of the use of Artificial Intelligence in education, including challengesand possibilities in relation to ensuring greater inclusivity in education.
Dr. Fatma Al-Maadheed, Director of the Arab Educational Training Centre for the Gulf States (AETCGS) emphasizes the importance of these two toolkits as part of the center’s commitment to regional leadership in education and training. She views the collaboration with UNESCO as an opportunity to strengthen knowledge exchange and expertise across the region with a focus on high global standards. This partnership will enhance cooperation in educational development, support innovation, and contribute to improving the overall quality of education and training.
Salah Khaled, UNESCO Representative to the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the UNESCO Office in Doha, highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “The partnership between UNESCO and AETCGS reflects our shared commitment to advance inclusive education in the Gulf States and Yemen and support education actors and policy makers with the knowledge and tools necessary to create educational experiences that provide every learner with the opportunity to succeed and better learning environments for everyone”.
Referring to the development of the Toolkit on Artificial Intelligence and Education, Khaled also mentioned: “We are pleased to collaborate with AETCGS on such a topical theme and provide greater understanding to concerned actors around the potentials and challenges related to the use of AI in education, including Generative AI. This joint work is deeply rooted in UNESCO’s engagement in promoting the ethics of AI and promoting critical AI literacies”.
In an era of rapid education transformation, the two newly developed toolkits will respond to the needs of educators and institutions to promote inclusive educational practices and foster innovation in teaching and learning processes.
