Call for more teacher incentives

A group of school teachers have raised concerns over the lack of finances and proper buildings for schools in Abu Dhabi's Western Region. They raised the issue during a meeting with Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Wife of President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Chairwoman of the UAE General Women's Union (GWU).

The meeting was hosted by Sheikha Fatima at Umma Ammar High School to discuss the problems of teachers in Abu Dhabi. Several teachers were invited from different parts of the emirate, including Al Ain, to express their concerns.

They said nearly all the schools in the Western Region are not well-equipped and some do not have enough computers.

Hamda Ghanem, Principle of Al Mushref Secondary School, told Gulf News: "We teachers are not appreciated and we don't get enough incentives. We also don't get any salary raise no matter how long we work. Teachers are not even given discounts on their children's school fees."

The meeting also discussed how to increase the number of school registrations.

A representative from the Abu Dhabi Model School said: "Teachers resign after a year or two from their jobs because they do not find the job worth the effort. A female teacher takes time off from home and children to teach 17 lessons a day. It is a lot of responsibility and in the end teachers are not appreciated."

She said even national teachers are treated in the same as expatriates. "Nationals should receive encouragement and support."

A representative from the Al Ain Educational Zone said that it is unfair that female and male teachers are treated differently. "A female teacher receives a housing allowance that is much less than that of a male teacher."

Most of the teachers complained that their schools lack a propoer human resources department. Some have a shortage of teachers, counsellors, secretaries and other officials. The model schools asked for an increase in finances, computer labs, computer programmes and specialists.

A representative of the Al Ain Model School said that the initial Dh5 million given to each model school has already been used and the schools now lack funding.

Sheikha Fatima offered her support towards national teachers and said that a Supreme Authority for Abu Dhabi Female Teachers will be established soon for their development.

Sheikha Fatima also invited Dr Ali Abdul Aziz Al Sharhan, Minister of Education and Youth, to meet with the teachers this Sunday at the GWU to listen to their grievances and solve them.

She added that the conditions for the Sheikha Fatima Prize for Best Female National Teacher will also be announced soon. "The authority will start working on the competition at the beginning of the next school year."

She added that the authority, in cooperation with the GWU, will begin organising training courses for teachers to improve their performance.

Dr Sheikha Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the education ministry's Educational Curri-culums and Programme Affairs, thanked Sheikh Fatima for her support and for listening to the problems of teachers.

She said: "This meeting shows the role education plays in Sheikha Fatima's life. This meeting will encourage teachers to excel in their jobs."