Abu Dhabi: Four Emirati students are among the top eight scorers in the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum Grade 12 final exams for the 2021-2022 academic year, the Emirates School Establishment (ESE) announced on Wednesday (June 29).
The other four toppers include two Egyptian students, one Palestianian student, and one Yemeni student. In total, the 28,775 students who attended the end-of year Grade 12 students achieved a high pass rate of 94.4 per cent in the 2021-2022 academic year, the ESE said on Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohammed’s tweet
The results were officially announced by the ESE, which oversees MoE curriculum schools, on Wednesday. Ahead of the announcement, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated toppers on his Twitter account. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also personally called Emirati toppers, Mazoon Al Ketbi from Falaj Al Mualla Girls School in Umm Al Quwain and Sumaya Al Ketbi from Al Ataa School in Al Ain.
“We congratulate those who came first. We congratulate the graduates and their parents. “We congratulate the homeland for getting a new cohort of its sons and daughters, its soldiers, its men and women. They are future leaders and we give them the good news that their coming days will be better and more beautiful,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Congratulatory calls
He also called Mazoon and Sumaya to congratulate them in person.
“I suddenly received a call at 5pm, and I was shocked to learn it was His Highness on the line. He was the first to tell me that I had achieved one of the highest grades in the UAE, and while I had been expecting to do well, it was still overwhelming,” Sumaya, told Gulf News.
The 17-year-old Emirati and Umm Al Quwain resident is now planning to pursue aerospace engineering, and dreams of playing a key role in advancing the UAE’s ambitious space programme.
Abdelrahman Elkhalafy, 17, was comparatively less surprised to hear of his grades.
“I studied very hard and hoped to do well. Still, it is an indescribable feeling. It also took me completely by surprise because a family friend saw His Highness’ post online and contacted us,” he said.
Elkhalafy, completed his schooling at the Abdulla bin Al Zubair Boys School in Sharjah, and will go on to study medicine in the UAE.
Proud moment
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mansoori, 17, an Emirati student at the Ras Al Khaimah Applied Technology High School, was also delighted to learn of his grades.
“It is a proud moment for my family and me, and I want to use these grades to study Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Kings’ College London. Then, I want to return and help the UAE further its AI goals,” Al Mansoori said.
Al Mansoori said he and his family had been celebrating the happy news since they had heard.
Among the other toppers are Emirati student Mohammad Al Tunaiji from the Applied Technology High School in Umm Al Quwain, Egyptian student Faris Radwan from Al Ahliya Private School in Sharjah, Palestinian student Asem Mahmoud from Al Maharat Private School in Abu Dhabi, and Yemeni student Ali Al Habashi from the Applied Technology High School in Abu Dhabi.
Persevering students
Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and the chairwoman of the ESE board of directors, congratulated the students and their families on their end-of-year performance.
“These students went through most of their high school years in the pandemic, and have persevered. Our students continued their education attainment with great resilience and agility, two important skills for the future. Our graduates continue to be the drivers for the future,” Al Amiri said.
She added that the success of the students is also a testament to the hard work of educators across the country.
