UAE Cabinet endorses new organisational structure

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Their Highnesses and Excellences The Ministers recited prayers for the UAE Founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said it is the duty of every one of us to pray for our late father the late Sheikh Zayed for his impressive role in establishing and supporting our country. "It has become a leading country in the world, and we should celebrate Zayed Humanitarian Work Day, which coincide with 19th of Ramadan every year."

The UAE Cabinet has endorsed a new organisational structure of the Ministry of Education to uplift education quality for students and prepare them for the future. The decree comes in line with the 2015-2021 Education Plan that is based on the National Agenda indicators and UAE Vision 2021.

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said that improving education in the UAE is a top priority in the government and effort will continue to provide a best-in-class education system to our people so that they are prepared to maintain achievements in the country and contribute to them.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, "rapid developments around the world and in the UAE require a unique educational system to meet the development needs and make the Emirati school a model school globally."

He added, "we all have a national duty to shoulder towards preparing our sons and daughters and Emirati generations to come and to reach number one ranks in the world. Our work should be based on a strategic vision that will have an organisational structure that is flexible and advanced which does not have an overlap of work or delegations. It will support innovation and spirit of taking initiatives. We want to realise the best investment in utilising Emirati expertise to lead the education work in the UAE and to convey the sublime message of educating generations to come."

The new organisational structure enjoys flexibility by introducing two Undersecretaries positions in the Ministry: one for academic affairs; the other for quality and supporting services. It also introduces six Assistant Undersecretaries positions to support building institutional capacity of the ministry, especially in curriculum development as well as monitoring and evaluation methodologies. The new structure also reduces red-tape process for the teacher that will save time and effort.

The new structure will separate issues related to policies and operation, particularly in monitoring and evaluation as well as supporting services through six sectors. Each Undersecretary will be responsible for three sectors. The Undersecretary for Academic Affairs will be responsible for the Curriculum and Monitoring Sector, which will be tasked with devising policies of curriculum, monitoring and planning programs. The second sector is Student Care and Activities, which will address matters related to students' care; third is School Sector, which is responsible for planning and implementing school operations.

The other Undersecretary for Quality and Supporting Services will be responsible for the following other three sectors: "Quality Assurance", "Human Resources and Finance" and "Administrative Affairs". The Ministry of Education is keen to have this sector separate from the counterpart that is addressing policies in order to ensure impartiality and transparency in monitoring and evaluation. Such changes will include flexibility in terms of policymaking, planning, operations and monitoring, particularly in developing curriculum, examination and evaluation systems as well as training and vocational development. The new organisational structure seeks to strengthen relations in the three-tier educational system (The Ministry of Education, Zones and schools).

The structure will provide room for the Ministry to utilise the Emirati expertise in education and ensure a flexible education process and communication between the Ministry and educational-related entities that will yield in providing high-quality education services. The Ministry is keen to boost its relations with its stakeholders, members of the community and those interested in education matters.

On the other hand, the Cabinet reviewed other topics on the agenda and approved the issuing of a law on financial regulation and bankruptcy. The proposed draft law presents flexible strategies to bailout businesses if faced with financial troubles that might lead to bankruptcy. The draft law aims to regulate accumulated debts, eases restructuring of companies as well as support troubled businesses. The draft law aims to mitigate risk of bankruptcy and ensure a safe and attractive business environment in the UAE that nurtures and supports investments. In light of its global investment position, the UAE government seeks to provide incentives to investors to invest in the country by ensuring a supporting environment and benefits to develop businesses in the UAE. The draft law was prepared after detailed studies with federal and local entities as well as international consultancies in the field of bankruptcy, and financial restructure.

The Cabinet also approved allocating 1% of federal government entities budgets to support innovation in the federal government. The allocation will be geared towards developing systems that manage innovation in the federal government to be part of the daily work as well as expedite the implementation of innovative ideas in the government.

The Cabinet also reviewed a report submitted by Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs on the preparations for the elections of the Federal National Council and measures taken including ballot centres, e-voting systems as well as training staff to manage elections in UAE embassies abroad.

The Cabinet also issued a decree on organisational matters such as restructuring the Institute of Training and Judicial Studies chaired by Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice. Such organisational matters reflect the government's keenness to uplift performance of boards to contribute to the government's strategy in serving the community.

Pertaining to government financial matters, the Cabinet endorsed the closing accounts of 2014 fiscal year of a number of entities: the General Secretariat of the Cabinet at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, Emirates Post Group and Emirates General Petroleum Corporation.

On the international level, the Cabinet endorsed a number of international agreements such as approving three agreements with Kyrgyzstan on boosting economic cooperation; another with Bangladesh to setup an embassy of UAE in the country. The Cabinet also approved two agreements with Moldova and Central Africa Republic on aviation services. It also endorsed signing an agreement with Sierra Leone on economic and technical cooperation; another agreement with Poland on tourism as well as a number of other agreements that will eventually contribute to boosting UAE's position globally.

The UAE Cabinet held its meeting at the Presidential Palace and was attended by H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Source: WAM