Teachers honoured for efforts

Abu Dhabi: Teachers from across the UAE received the Shaikh Khalifa Teacher's Award yesterday at a ceremony held at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, presented 122 teachers with the award for 2006 along with Mohammad Salem Al Daheri, Director of the Abu Dhabi Education Zone.

Dr Hanif said this would be the last year for the Shaikh Khalifa Teacher's Award.

"We will be looking forward to the new Shaikh Khalifa Educational Award, founded by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces," said Dr Hanif.

"The newly founded award will be given not only to teachers, but to all educators. This prize will add a new horizon to honouring workers in the education field," he added.

Salem Abdul Aziz Al Kathiri, one of the prize winners, told Gulf News that the prize came to reward the teachers' efforts. "What the UAE has accomplished in a few years in all fields is clear evidence of what this prize embodies," he said.

Latifa Ebrahim Saeed, another winner, said the prize for her means "the appreciation of the years I spent teaching."

"This is an honour which every loyal citizen of the UAE will be proud of. It will encourage us to give more to education in the future," she added.