Education in the United Arab Emirates: A Socio-cultural Analysis

This chapter describes the past and present education system of the United Arab Emirates with a focus on female education and participation in the workforce. It should be noted that the gender issue is not stressed in the U.A.E. policy documents. According to Ridge (2009, 105) “the UAE … does not have gender on the [education] policy table, in any respect.�? The emphasis is more on modernizing and internationalizing the education system using global best practices. The United Arab Emirates has inadvertently found itself in the position where girls outperform boys and thus gain more access to higher education, and has therefore never had to have an explicit gender focus to address. However, the issue of female education and employment is serious when it is explored from a socio-cultural standpoint. Social and cultural barriers still hinder girls from pursuing the education they desire and constraints are more prevalent when it comes to female participation in the workforce.