Education experts are going to have input into a  'classroom of the future' at a forthcoming summit in Bahrain.

Naturally, they think it means more entertainment and technology and less treating kids like they are smart (see Kids Science Zone) but leading international figures from academia, business and politics will convene to advance the global education system and that is at least something.

The forum is held each year in the Kingdom of Bahrain, having been founded under the initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the Kingdom's Economic Development Board (EDB).  Yes, an education forum is being held in a country that is best known for prostitution trafficking of children and which refuses to include Israel on any maps for its students.

This year's event will be held October 8th-10th and features a 'live experiment' showcasing technologies that may boost engagement in a futuristic learning environment. 

 Ewan McIntosh, Director at NoTosh Digital Media Education in Scotland, is a speaker at the event and said, "In the 1980s, a text book might have been the best way to share expertise but now there is a whole world that lets students learn at the click of a mouse. We learn by sharing and talking, not by staying in classrooms with the door shut. We have to get out in the world and that does not always mean field trips; now it is out in the blogosphere. Everyone involved with a child's learning needs to understand the ways they are engaged. Parents have to be engaged too, and understand the changes in the classroom since their day. In today's world, that means being open to the possibilities of game-based learning - such as using Wii Fit and Guitar Hero - as launch pads into subjects such as maths, physics and geography." 

Not sure which people will be allowed in the discussion.  In objections to international UN treaties on human rights, civil and political, Sheikh Adel Mouwda, the former leader of salafist party, Asalah, said, "The convention has been tailored by our enemies, God kill them all, to serve their needs and protect their interests rather than ours."

Educators anticipate that scientific advances in understanding more about how the brain works will allow them to shape a more effective learning environment in the future. With it will come enhanced opportunities for individualized teaching to better engage with - and meet the specific needs of - each student.

And if an education summit is going to be held in the Middle East, Bahrain is the best choice, having published 132 books in 2005 for a population of 700,000, compared to 7 books per 1,000,000 people in the rest of the Arab world.

 The Education Project is free to attend for educational professionals from all sectors as well as from public and private sector institutions with an interest in developing new models and standards in education but entry is by invitation only; for more information and to register online visit: http://www.educationprojectbahrain.org