Humanity's new challenge is to develop higher cognitive skills to compete with artificial intelligence, an Estonian minister has said.
Kristina Kallas, Estonia's Minister of Education and Research, said schools need to prepare children's cognitive skills for jobs that don't yet exist.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Ms Kallas spoke of the need to develop critical thinking as AI was pushing humans to evolve.
"If we want to live together with AI, we need to evolve and develop our higher cognitive skills," she said.
Technology is an enhancer. It's a tool, not a learning process in itself
Kristina Kallas,
Estonia's Minister of Education and Research
"What that means is that for our children and future generations, in terms of cognitive capacities of understanding, interpreting, analysing the world, and communicating with the world, they will be at a much higher level than our grandparents were.
"AI is pushing us there and we have to evolve. This is human evolution that needs to take place with our skills and our competence levels."
Ms Kallas said it was imperative to give teachers autonomy over making decisions in the classroom.
Preparing for unknown careers
Estonia made the top 10 in the world PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) rankings, an international evaluation of 15 year olds' proficiency in reading, maths and science.
It was also the highest-ranking European nation in maths and science in the latest Pisa rankings published in December.
"Schools need to prepare children's cognitive skills for the jobs that don't exist yet," she said.
"School curricula also need to describe those higher cognitive skills that children need to develop such as analytical, critical thinking, systematic thinking and communication skills, ethics, teamwork, multiculturalism and adjusting to different environments."
From Estonia to the Emirates
The minister spoke of her hope of bringing the Estonian model of schooling to the UAE, as well as transferring the teaching principles of her country to other nations.
She said: "We would definitely be interested in having a pilot school in the UAE to see whether this would work in a different cultural model in terms of digitisation."
At Gitex 2023, the Middle East's largest technology conference, Ms Kallas spoke about her country's education system during a visit to the UAE in October.
The minister said she will be returning in February to discuss further opportunities in education.
Ms Kallas said the competence levels Estonia has set for children in different age categories was higher than many other nations.
"We have this mindset in education, which is to aim high and work hard," she said. "We have very ambitious curricula concerning the same in maths and science.
"For that, you need very professional teachers who have high qualification requirements for the job, which we have in Estonia.
"They need to be motivated to work with each student."
Ms Kallas said teachers must have autonomy so they can make decisions over how they educate, what methods they use, how they arrange the working week, as well as arrange the process of teaching at the school.
Estonia lays great emphasis on teachers having professional autonomy, while schools promote equity and do not segregate children.
Only 8 per cent of schools in the country are private and the average class size is 21.
Compulsory education begins at the age of seven.
In Estonian kindergartens, children are encouraged to develop cognitive as well as academic skills.
Ms Kallas said the Estonian concept was to ensure young children understand and are capable of explaining the world, and develop general social skills.
Digitising education
Estonia is the world's most digitally advanced society and since 2020, schools have been able to provide general education using only digital learning materials.
But digitising education is not simply about handing a child a gadget, she said.
"It's not about gadgets or giving children iPads," Ms Kallas said. "It's about developing new learning processes with the help of technology.
"Technology is an enhancer. It's a tool, not a learning process in itself."
She said children learn different skills when they use technology compared to when they do not use it.
"In order for a child to learn those new cognitive and academic skills through technology, teachers need to be competent and the digital competencies of those teachers are crucial."
Ms Kallas said when education systems adopt technology, they need to change the way pupils are assessed, the way in which they are taught and the way in which feedback is given.
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
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When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
MO
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5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
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Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
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Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
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In
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- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
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- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
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Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
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Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
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