JANUARY 2016 ISSUE 15
A M o n t h ly M a g a z i n e o n K n o w l e d g e a n d D e v e lo p m e n t b y t h e M o h amm e d B i n R a s h i d A l M ak to u m F o u n d at i o n
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18 flashes / JANUARY 2016
Hon. Elias Bou Saab
Challenge of opening up a world of knowledge to refugee children Charting a dramatic journey from an academic to that of a minister dealing with a massive regional refugee crisis www.mbrf.ae
JANUARY 2016 / flashes 19
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Hon. Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Lebanon
ne of the distinguished panelists during the First Session titled ‘Innovation in Education – Future Outlook’ on the opening day of the Knowledge Summit, was Hon. Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Lebanon. He describes his journey from an academic role to that of a Minister dealing with a massive refugee crisis and the demands it is making on the education infrastructure in his country. The following are excerpts from an exclusive interview with Flashes:
How has been your journey from the world of higher education to the role of a key decision and policy maker with legislative powers? What are the challenges you face in your new role? Well, first of all, I was in the education field. I was with the American University of Dubai holding the post of Executive Vice-President. I moved to Lebanon last year after becoming the Education Minister. Part of the challenge that I faced in my new role in government was the grave refugee 20 flashes / JANUARY 2016
crisis in our country. We are a country of four million and we have 1.5 million Syrian refugees and 500,000 Palestinian refugees. So half of the country’s population now comprise refugees. The other problem we face is that we have among the Syrian refugees about 450,000 school-age children that need to enter school. Our government school system already has 250,000 Lebanese students. So while we have 250,000 Lebanese students, we have 450,000 Syrian students that need to be admitted to schools. It is an obligation on me and every government to allow every child to be given the opportunity to enter school. We don’t have the financial means, and we don’t have enough schools. We have a lot of issues and problems. We are trying to raise funds from the international community. We have succeeded because I had put a plan in place called RACE (Reaching All Children With Education). And with that plan, which we presented before the international community, we proved that we can deliver and we did that. So we received international funding and I was able to put 200,000 Syrian refugee children in schools this year. And I have another 250,000 children that I am working to put in
Hon. Elias Bou Saab
schools during the next year or so. As for recognition of our efforts, it is not a matter of publicity for us. But the international community should know. Because we need their help. The international community is aware and I have been to the United Nations and I have been to several sessions there and we have had two separate talks at the UN General Assembly and the World Bank. So we are really making progress with them. Yes, in the Arab world, I agree, that it is not very well-known what we have been doing in Lebanon with regard to educating the refugee children. I think it needs to be highlighted.
You had mentioned the great influence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, on you as an academic. What are the lessons you can possibly emulate from his vision? His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has always helped in Education and various other fields. And now we are also presenting to him about the need for assisting us in Lebanon to educate the Syrian refugees. And I am sure, either through the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), Dubai Cares or the government, we will be receiving attention and help from His Highness as he always did in the past.
The theme for this year’s Knowledge Summit is ‘The Way to Innovation’. How do you think Innovation will impact education and knowledge development in the days ahead?
There are lots of differences right now because each country has its own situation politically. Some countries are undergoing war conditions,
others are making slow progress and some are less fortunate to have adequate funding for building schools. On the other hand, the UAE has made a lot of progress in education. We are hoping to have a unified curriculum which is interactive that will help teachers improve their skills. We are working very hard to develop that in Lebanon. We have spoken to the UAE Minister of Education in order to organise a pan-Arab session with all the education ministers of the Gulf countries taking part very soon in Dubai, in association with the World Bank as they have shown interest in financing such a project. Developing an interactive curriculum that can be shared with the Arab world, I feel will make a big difference and improve the education level across the board.
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Well, it is well-known that HH Sheikh Mohammed has always been pushing for more knowledge, and the theme of this Knowledge Summit 2015 relates to the future. And this is what each country in the region should be looking forward to.
Finally, what are the issues related to Education in the Gulf and Middle East region as a whole? Are there any common solutions and approaches that come to your mind?
Top: British Prime Minister David Cameron visits the Sed El Boucrieh School with Lebanese Education minister, Elias Bou Saab. Above: Developing an interactive curriculum that can be shared with the Arab world, will make a big difference and improve the education level across the board.
JANUARY 2016 / flashes 21