More than one in four 15-year-olds in the UAE reported being bullied “at least a few times a month,” according to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment’s Students’ Well-Being report.
Out of 72 countries that participated in the PISA assessment, the UAE had the eighth-largest prevalence of bullying, with 27 per cent of pupils saying they had been bullied in some form at least a few times a month.
“The fact of the matter is, if it’s one out of four students that are reporting that they are being bullied, and that’s a difficult thing that they are going through, then schools are not doing enough,” said Dr Sarah Rasmi, assistant professor of psychology and counselling at the United Arab Emirates University.
“At the same time, it is difficult for schools to do more because a lot of them are understaffed, especially when it comes to counsellors.”
Only Thailand (27.2 per cent); Macau (27.3); Russia (27.5); Tunisia (28.2); Dominican Republic (30.1); Latvia (30.6); and Hong Kong (32.3) had a higher prevalence. The average among the 35 participating Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries was 18.7 per cent. In addition, 17.8 per cent of students in the UAE - twice the OECD average - were “frequently bullied,” which has a direct impact on their academic performance.
“Students in schools where bullying is frequent, by international standards, score 47 points lower in science than students in schools where bullying occurs less frequently,” according to the report.
“In Qatar, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, students in the bottom decile of science performance were more likely – by at least 15 percentage points – to report being pushed or hit than students in the top decile of performance,” according to the report.
The UAE’s mean science score in Pisa 2015 was 437, which was 56 points lower than the OECD average and 12 points below the country’s score in PISA 2012. In reading, the UAE’s mean score was 434, a drop of eight points compared to 2012, and 59 points less than the OECD average. In maths, the UAE mean PISA 2015 score was 427, a loss of seven points compared to 2012 and 63 points below the OECD average. The UAE Vision 2021 has set a target for the UAE to rank among the world’s best in reading, maths and science.
The report also found that test anxiety in the UAE was higher than average, with 61.8 per cent of pupils agreeing that they they “feel very anxious” even if they are well-prepared for a test.
On the positive side, UAE respondents on average rated their life satisfaction 7.30 on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means the worst possible life, and 10 means the best possible life. This is about the same as the OECD average.
UAE pupils were also more ambitious, as 72 per cent said they expected to complete a university degree, while the OECD average was only 44.2 per cent.
In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority has launched a number of initiatives to help improve student well-being and promote happiness in schools. It also requires parents and students to sign a contract that spells out the “zero-tolerance policy for bullying in all of its forms”.
“Schools have a significant impact on children’s quality of life and the focus on well-being allows us to look at new ways of engaging students,” said Hind Al Mualla, chief of happiness and innovation at the KHDA.
“Success and well-being in life depend on how well students have been able to develop socially and emotionally. By embracing positive education and well-being, schools are taking a step forward in the development of character strengths and happiness.”
In Abu Dhabi, more than 4,000 pupils sat the Pisa 2015 assessment, while in Dubai, 6,798 participated. The next Pisa assessment will take place in 2018.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8
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HAJJAN
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
