UAE students teach blockchain, crypto and tech skills to prepare for future job market

Many Emirati schools are already offering courses in blockchain, cryptocurrencies and other emerging technologies to prepare them for the job market of the future.

High on the agenda will be making children fully aware metaverse.

The Metaverse is envisioned as a new online world where people with 3D avatars (representing yourself) use virtual reality headsets to go to concerts, work, socialize and access a range of services.

Repton Al Barsha director Gillian Hammond said promoting online safety was key.

“As they explore the metaverse, there are a lot of players and we need to make sure our students are digital citizens who know how to be safe online and understand the persistence of what they post online,” Ms Hammond said.

“We educate our students that things don’t have to be how they appear online, and they must never share their name, photo or location.”

Ms Hammond said the school worked closely with parents to discuss what restrictions should be put in place when children were online at home, using devices such as mobile phones, laptops and iPads.

While safety is key, schools are keen to embrace rapidly evolving technology.

It sets aside about an hour a week in the school schedule to explore game design, blockchain, learning about non-fungible tokens, better known as NFTs, and the wider metaverse.

“As a school family, we have identified blockchain as the technology of the future, and we really want to lead the field by raising awareness among teachers, parents and students,” Ms Hammond said.

“We want our students to know and understand blockchain and NFTs. We have fourth to sixth graders involved in game design.

“We offer computer science classes to all our students. In fact, we teach kids computer science and coding even from 1st grade.”

Last year, the school rolled out digital passports for all students with the help of a blockchain provider.

Students from FS1 through Year 13 will receive a digital record of their journey through the school. Students can securely share their test transcripts, and these can be easily verified because the documents are dated.

The school has produced a series of videos to educate the community about the benefits of blockchain and is hosting an extracurricular event on blockchain and NFTs this year for all students who are interested and able to attend.

School looks to the future

British curriculum Citizens School in Dubai claims to be the first school in the Middle East to allow parents to pay Tuition with cryptocurrency. The school accepts bitcoin and ether payments.

“We will ensure that our students are digitally minded, which means understanding financial literacy, the world of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, digital assets and blockchain,” said Principal Tracy Moxley.

“We do this through project-based learning and digital literacy courses – complex concepts like these will be explored in grades 5 and 6, with added complexity in middle school.”

Mark Ryan, a primary visual arts teacher at Raha International School in Abu Dhabi, said he has been teaching students how to take artwork and make NFTs since last year.

At an exhibition last year, where students could choose any topic they wanted to showcase, he said some of them were passionate about NFTs.

Digital tokens represent objects such as art, music and video games, and are often bought and sold online using cryptocurrencies — often at a premium.

Students making NFTs are encouraged to not focus on currencies and buying and selling those currencies, but just study how the digital space can help track their work as young artists.

“These spaces are developing almost faster than the courses themselves,” Mr Ryan said.

“We have a digital citizenship program where kids learn how to navigate the internet, and now with these emerging spaces, they’re having a lot of social interaction online, and then we’re trying to have these discussions about safety.”

Mr Ryan said this year he is working with students on robotics and how to use digital spaces, such as Sandbox, an ethereum-based metaverse and gaming ecosystem, and Decentraland, a browser-based 3D virtual world platform.

Regulatory virtual world – in pictures

Updated: 11/14/2022 2:38AM