Muscat - Lynne Heath, Principal of the newly-established Manchester Communication Academy will be the keynote international speaker at Brand Oman Management Unit's (BOMU) 8 February 'Inside Stories' seminar.
Opened in September 2010, the Manchester Communication Academy offers students access to the fast moving world of digital communications and ICT. Up-to-date technology is being used to support and transform learning for the 1,200 pupils and in addition to teaching 11 to 16-year-olds, the Academy will have a post-16 provision and access to learning for adults.
Heath is a head teacher with more than a decade of educational experience. She believes people can be helped by the innovative teaching at the Academy to develop career aspirations for the future that are realistic and achievable.
"Having Lynne participate in the 'Inside Stories' seminar will be of tremendous benefit to Oman's education sector and business community. Her experience in setting up a school from scratch that has the local community as well as the skills of tomorrow's labour market at its core will be of substantial interest to teachers and businessmen," remarks His Highness Sayyid Faisal Al Said, COO, BOMU.
The topic for the 8 February 'Inside Stories' session is Education and Preparing for the Future of Work and will examine the impact of changes in the world economy on Oman with special reference to the sultanate's labour market and preparing Oman's youth for the future of work.
"Many of these changes have already occurred, others are happening and still others are expected to surface. The increased competition arising from globalization - fueled by technological advances - is forcing countries across the world to re-think the way they educate their people if they are to survive these uncharted waters of intense international competition," suggests Sayyid Faisal.
"For those unfamiliar with Harpurhey, it's a deprived area of north Manchester, with high levels of unemployment and in some families, successive generations without work. Our goal is for the school to provide children from the area with the support they need to succeed. It's important to all of us that the people of Harpurhey see this Academy as belonging to them. Too often things are done to communities, rather than with them. In brief, we've designed the Academy with the community's help and support," Lynne says proudly.
People naturally want their children to do better and have more and according to Heath: "Manchester Communication Academy symbolises real investment in the community and one of the priorities for us in developing the curriculum, is to support employability for adults and young people in the area. The creation of a new high school in Harpurhey will help provide job opportunities as well as access to learning for adults - allowing them the chance to learn as well as their children. I hope that the lessons learnt here in Manchester will be of value to those attending Brand Oman's 'Inside Stories' seminar on 8 February."
Academy staff aim to develop independent learning in the school, teaching students to think for themselves. Rather than passively taking direction from teachers. Staff want to help young people build confidence and value their own talents and achievements.
"Some children can get turned off by school, partly because they don't have adequate support for the difficulties they face. We have to ensure the Academy has support mechanisms in place to help those pupils," adds Lynne.
"In developing the model, Lynne and her colleagues at Manchester City Council deliberately identified future skills gaps that needed to be filled by the Academy - plugging the gaps between what schools can provide, what businesses expect from young people and providing a smooth transition for young people, this is a model that is of interest to BOMU. Indeed, this third 'Inside Stories' session will consider the curriculum, skills, schools, teachers, vocational and professional training programs, universities and talent required for Oman to survive and thrive in the knowledge-driven economy and Lynne will add substantial value to this important debate," concludes Sayyid Faisal.
-Ends-
Further information on BOMU's 'Inside Stories' can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAUkP9BB_4I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUuVIO-ox0Q
© Press Release 2011
