Abu Dhabi: Experienced professionals from across the UAE can soon share their knowledge and experience with students as part of a newly implemented initiative called Teach for the Sake of the UAE.
The project aims to dispense practical knowledge and life skills to students, Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister for Education, said in the capital on Wednesday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Qudwa forum, a day-long conference and exhibition for educators to share their experiences and discuss ways in which to improve learning in the UAE.
The event was organised by the Crown Prince’s Court, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec).
Twenty dedicated teachers from across the UAE were also honoured for their lifelong efforts in enhancing education in the UAE.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, expressed his thanks to teachers through his Twitter account.
“Celebrating World Teachers’ Day reflects our deep faith in the significant role teachers [play] in achieving innovation. Maintaining the UAE’s sustainability and leadership in all areas requires providing state-of-the-art education. The UAE is betting on a high-end education to be a springboard [towards success] in the post-oil era. We will continue to enhance teachers’ status and role in line with the national development aspirations,” His Highness tweeted.
Explaining the details of the Teach for the Sake of the UAE programme, Al Hammadi said executives who wish to participate can upload their resumes onto the dedicated ministry portal.
“There is a lot of knowledge that you cannot [obtain] from a textbook, such as how an entrepreneur works for 15 to 20 years to make his business successful. There are also other instances when children would understand certain phenomena better if they could hear from a doctor or an engineer,” Al Hammadi said.
“We therefore invite nurses, businessmen, bankers, engineers, doctors, and indeed professionals with experience in their respective fields, to register their interest [to participate in the programme],” he added.
Both active professionals and retirees from all nationalities will be considered for the initiative.
“We will first build a database of all interested persons, and then based on lessons and plans, schools will reach out to the relevant people by the next school term,” Al Hammadi said.
“The idea is to have people convey their knowledge and practical experience. If any of the professionals then want to go on and become full-fledged teachers, we will offer free training so that they can join the [educational] system,” the minister added.
The minister also charted the development of education in the UAE.
“In 1964, there were just 37 schools in the UAE, and only a fifth of the population was literate. Today, there are 1,215 public schools and a million students in the UAE’s public schools alone. Now, we must equip our children to excel in the post-oil era. After all, today’s schoolchildren are tomorrow’s leaders,” he added.
The event was attended by nearly 3,500 educators, and the selected teachers were presented awards by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
Speaking at a panel session, the Finnish Minister of Education, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, also commended the UAE’s commitment to education.
An adjoining exhibition also displayed the latest education technologies and content for the benefit of teachers.
