Abu Dhabi: To promote and deeply instil the UAE national identity, all private schools in the emirate of Abu Dhabi have been instructed to engage their students in celebrations on the occasion of the 41st National Day.
In addition to raising the UAE flag, schools have been urged to set aside one day to celebrate the National Day, the Abu Dhabi Education Council announced in a statement on Monday.
“It is crucial to encourage our children to understand the hardships Emiratis used to face in the older days that helped enable the UAE become one of the most prominent areas in the world today. For that reason, and for the very first time, private schools have been asked to take part in celebrating such an important day with rest of our public schools,” said Hamad Al Dhaheri, executive director of private schools and quality assurance at the Adec.
“The celebrations will help encourage children from all cultures and backgrounds to express their dedication and devotion towards the UAE, while understanding our local culture and national identity,” he added.
Private schools have also been asked to use the official logo of “Spirit of the Union” in all of the 41st National Day celebrations, while including all grades from kindergarten to Grade 12 in the celebrations. Schools must pay special respect to ensure segregation of gender as per the law, the Adec statement said.
“Emirati and expatriate students who were either born in the UAE or feel loyalty towards the country will be given a chance to promote the UAE traditions, customs, values and heritage, especially the national dress, while expressing their dedication towards the country,” added Engineer Hamad.
Earlier this month, each private school was asked to provide the Adec with a plan of their celebrations.
An open day to celebrate the occasion is also being organised by the Adec for school pupils, families and teachers on Wednesday.
