95% Emirati youth say Covid highlighted the value of lifelong learning

Abu Dhabi - Two in five say they prefer learning new information through conversations.

Ninety-five per cent of Emirati youth believe Covid has made lifelong learning more important than ever, according to a new study.

The survey, conducted by the Federal Youth Authority (FYA) in collaboration with Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed Ramadan Series 2021, explored the youth’s views on learning beyond school.

Two in five of those polled — or 39 per cent — said they prefer to learn new information by engaging in conversations with others, like older family members, older people in the community, mentors and peers, reflecting the Emirati tradition of passing wisdom through generations.

Learning through conversation was a top choice, over any other means, including through social media or reading.

Nearly three-quarters of participants also said they expect the quality of their work to improve through lifelong learning, with continuous education also expected to have a positive impact on their creativity.

Almost all of the young people surveyed agreed that more can still be done to encourage lifelong learning in the community, with over half claiming that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on their motivation to continue the journey.

Two hundred members of the Federal Youth Authority initiatives, all of whom Emirati nationals, were surveyed for the study.

Youth aged 15 to 35 made up majority of the sample, accounting for 83.25 per cent of all participants, while 15.71 per cent were aged 35 to 50. Only two FYA members included in the survey were older than 50.

Nearly half (44 per cent) of respondents believe learning will make their life happier and they want to engage in it moving forward, the survey revealed.