Minister urges parents to ban modern technology and let children play outside

Jameelah Al Muhairi announces new measures to boost standards in early learning.

The UAE’s Minister of State for Education has called on parents of young children to ban electronic games and encourage them to play more outside with friends.

Jameelah Al Muhairi said modern technology was impacting children’s ability to explore outdoors, to take risks, and to learn through experience.

Her comments came at the start of a major conference aimed at improving early child learning across the UAE.





Mrs Al Muhairi also launched a number of new initiatives at the conference designed to boost childhood learning.

One scheme involving both the Ministry of Education and the French non-profit group Ensemble pour l’Education de la Petite Enfance - or Together for Early Childhood Education – will distribute videos to parents in the UAE showing how best to engage with their children and assist their learning.

She also announced that her team were working on an early draft of a new childhood education law and preparing training programs aimed at enhancing teacher skills.




“We are also in the process of developing an integrative curriculum for kindergarten, first and second grades,” said Mrs Al Muhairi.

Source: The National