Partnerships between schools and governments is the best way to deliver curriculum say experts
3rd Arab Publishers Conference in Sharjah debates educational publishing
5 Dariya News
Sharjah 03-Nov-2015
An expert panel of educational publishers agreed that a positive partnership between publishers and governments is the best way to ensure students have access to outstanding educational content at the 3rd Arab Publishers Conference. Held at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah on 2-3 November, a session titled “Challenges and Opportunities in Educational Publishing” debated topical issues related to providing material for the school curriculum. Marwan Sawaleh, Secretary General of the UAE Education Coordination and Integration Council, and President of the Emirates Award for Educational Excellence said that the government’s Strategic Plan 2021 states that an outstanding, high-level education is one of its pillars. He said, “This has opened up an opportunity to the private sector to work with the government to develop this pillar. Publishing houses can work within this strategic plan to meet the demands of students today.” Sawaleh added that publishing houses should be aware of what the government’s needs are and provide it for them, saying that in the tech age students can be as informed as teachers with smartphones and iPads in every classroom. “Publishing houses need to find partners in order to deliver highly interesting content to students in a way they find most attractive,” he said.
Jose Borghino, Secretary General of the International Publishers Association said that digital disruption had affected the industry but that ultimately there would always be a need for the high quality content provided by Educational Publishers.“Partnership with government is very important; a positive relationship between publisher and government will deliver the best resources for schools. When this does not happen, when the two are not working well together then it is the student who suffers or ultimately it will be the country. Partnerships between governments, schools, teachers and parents will produce the best content for students,” said Borghino.Colin Hughes, Managing Director of the HarperCollins Education division said that there was a misconception that educational publishers only produced content because what they actually provided was a method of learning and that working with teachers, parents and governments to produce the best content for students is at the heart of what educational publishers did. He said, “We know what works for education and the key component is stability, that is to say, put a good curriculum in place and then leave it there, otherwise teachers can’t keep up with the changes and its success rate cannot be measured.”
Mohammed Al Bagdadi, President and CEO of Al Manhal, a content provider based in Abu Dhabi and the co-founder of ebrary, the world’s first academic ebook technology service provider said accessibility to the right content is vital for students. He said, “If everything is available to students they can select what suits them and it should of course be compliant with the curriculum. Students and teachers alike should find this content accessible, whether it’s printed or an ebook. Students are more sophisticated today and publishers in the west have gone from being book providers to learning providers and we need to think about how to add value to students and teachers. Partnerships between schools, governments and the publishing industry to find and deliver the best content in the way that the student wants, that holds their attention, is key or we have not added value to education.”
Under the Spotlight
Meanwhile, Joshua Davidson, the founder and Managing Director of Night Zookeeper said in an “Under the Spotlight” session that digital platforms had a lot to offer students and teachers. He said, “We know that the best way for a student to learn is via one to one with a teacher but in classrooms with more than 20 or 30 students this isn’t always possible and that is where digital solutions come in to it. Solutions such as Night Zookeeper which is a global parent and teacher led education initiative utilizing a digital platform to inspire children to learn. We are advancing literacy of school aged children across the world by linking creative games and stories to the national curriculum. In this way children can create stories, express themselves and develop literacy skills.” The two-day conference, held under the theme "The Publishing Industry: Prospects and Challenges of the Digital Age," concludes today, (Tuesday).