Bahrain Tribune: Investing in the people of Bahrain is the primary foundation for the development of our Kingdom, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of BDF and Chairman of the Economic Development Board Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa stated yesterday at the official opening of the Bahrain Teachers College (BTC), at the University of Bahrain.
It is through this investment that we will see our people and our nation prosper, he said.
Using both established and newly-developed teaching methods, the BTC will reflect positively on the educational process as a whole, and will be very important in realising the Economic Vision 2030 that was launched under the patronage of His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, said the Crown Prince.
In the coming days, we will witness the launch of new initiatives that are aimed at the development of all levels of the educational system, he said.
The Crown Prince extended his thanks to Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Education and Training Reform Committee Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and the members of the committee for their efforts in the formulation of the vision for education reform.
He also congratulated the University of Bahrain for welcoming the college as part of its campus, an addition that he said enhances its national role and makes a contribution to the advancement of education in Bahrain.
The official opening commenced with the national anthem and a reading from the holy Qur’an.
Also present at the Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa hall at the Sakhir campus, was the Minister of Education, Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi the Shura Council Chairman and deputies along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, staff and students of the BCT, and Education Reform Project board members.
Speaking at the event, Shaikh Mohammed said that the establishment and opening of the BTC along with the associated reform projects, marks a huge step forward for Education in Bahrain.
As our economy and society are changing so are the demands on our educational system, he said.
The skills and knowledge that students needed, even as recently as a decade ago are not necessarily those that are required today, he said.
Our education system has to respond to this challenge and that is why we embarked on our significant programme of education reforms, as part of Economic Vision 2030, added Shaikh Mohammed.
Moreover, Shaikh Mohammed said that today’s achievements, of both the students and the college, can be directly attributable to the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and his commitment to science and education as the way of the future for this nation.
His continued support will ensure that we maintain the commitment he has already demonstrated through his leadership, he said.
It is his patronage, support and affirmation that enable us to enjoy the success we see here today, without which these educational reforms would not have become one of the foundations for development and progress to the future.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi noted that with the launching of BCT a new era of education development has started.
This project is a vital part of Vision 2030, he said.
Education is a major motivating force in the ongoing development of society, providing the human resources that are needed to facilitate innovation, and enabling our people to continue to produce, as they adapt to changes at national and global levels, said Al Nuaimi.
In launching this college today, Crown Prince has sent a very strong message that education is the future of Bahrain and that the main cornerstone of education and the nation’s future prosperity, is the teacher, he said.
The best capabilities, the best teaching environments and the best curriculums cannot achieve this desired reform alone, he said. Al Nuiami said that this cannot be done unless there were excellent teachers, with the right skills who believe in their mission.
In conclusion, he said this step is vital in the journey of education reform.
University of Bahrain President Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi, thanked the Crown Prince for his patronage, saying that his presence at the ceremony reflected the importance of the college and its role in establishing a firm foundation for education in Bahrain.
Dr Janahi said that the purpose of the BCT, was that of enhancing the skills of new and existing teachers, and is a significant element of the education initiatives that underpin Economic Vision 2030.
The vision focuses on equipping Bahrain with a highly-skilled and flexible human capital to compete effectively in today’s dynamic global market.
It also stresses the need for leadership and innovation at all levels of the education system.
Dr Janahi said that in opening the BCT, the Crown Prince has demonstrated his resolve in making sure that key areas of the education sector are improved in order to ensure standards, and to build-in a vocational focus to the learning process. The placement of the college at the University of Bahrain also confirms the responsibility of the university to produce generations of Bahrainis who will position Bahrain to compete regionally, globally and increase its productivity, he said.
This responsibility will equally be taken up by those who graduate from the BCT, as they take up the mission of teaching and imparting knowledge to future generations of bahrainis, he said.
BCT Director, Dr Kathryn Bindon also thanked the Crown Prince for his valuable support.
She said the guidance and direction from the Crown Prince to ensure that education is of primary importance is the cornerstone of the national education reform initiatives.
Dr Bindon said that these reforms have established the concept of up-skilling teachers through ensuring that all who graduate have both the academic and applied teaching skills, which will take the teaching career in Bahrain to the highest possible standard.
She added that the BCT will use high-tech educational resources to guarantee the best possible learning environment for its students, one of the goals of vision 2030, which stresses the need for leadership and innovation through keeping abreast with the latest technologies in all levels of education.
Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 – for a fairer, more competitive and sustainable nation – involves all sections of the community, from government to business and the wider society, in working together to build a better bahrain for every Bahraini.
Central to its success is the recognition of the importance of an effective education system, relevant to today’s global labour market.
This is reflected in the primary importance afforded to the national education reform initiatives.
Introduced in 2005, the reform initiatives mark one of the earliest and ambitious programs of investment in Bahrain’s people towards the goals of vision 2030.
The comprehensive range of measures undertaken at all levels of the education system, from schools to vocational and teacher training are now beginning to bear fruit in delivering more and better education for all Bahrainis.
The BTC is the most recent National Education Reform Initiative (NERI) that has been put into place.
The BTC is supported by the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Singapore – an institute providing all levels of teacher education, ranging from initial teacher preparation and undergraduate programmes to postgraduate programmes in singapore.
The NERI initiatives are a cross – government effort under the leadership of Deputy NERI is focused on four main initiatives developing the quality of our teacher’s through the establishment of the BCT, setting up an independent quality assurance authority to conduct reviews of all education institutes and set national school examinations, the creation of Bahrain polytechnic to cater to the needs of a dynamic labour market, developing secondary vocational education to offer more applied and practical learning to students, and finally a school improvement programme which focuses on enhancing the public schools’ performance in the country.
