The
Ministry of Education is launching, on 15 November , the 4th National Bullying
Prevention Week to raise awareness on bullying across the UAE in collaboration
with the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and in partnership with
more than 28 federal and local entities.
Running
until 21st November, the nationwide campaign is organised under the patronage
of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union,
GWU, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme
Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, FDF.
The
campaign will address the electronic phenomena of bullying among school
students at various educational levels and qualify them on how to deal with it
and methods of prevention, explain the relationship between COVID-19 and
cyberbullying, correct intervention methods, and the role of professionals in
educational institutions in leading programmes to prevent bullying.
The
event includes 54 virtual workshops for 64 educational institutions, targeting public
and private schools and government and private higher education institutions as
well. The campaign also targets parents, administrators, teachers, nurses, bus
supervisors, drivers, cleaners, workers in school canteens and all members of
society.
H.H.
Sheikha Fatima emphasised that the UAE attaches great importance to the child
welfare and well-being by enacting legislations, issuing policies, establishing
mechanisms and setting up systems and procedures to ensure the child's right to
live in a safe environment and stimulate his physical, intellectual, emotional
and social development.
"The concerted efforts of the
federal and local institutions and civil society to address the phenomenon of
bullying and raising awareness about it underscore the endeavour of the country
to ensure that the best interests of the child are above any consideration to
protect his rights and guarantee his well-being and safety of growth,"
Sheikha Fatima said in a statement ahead of the launch of the event.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic and
its impact on the world, changes have taken place that has had a profound
impact on everyone, especially children, and with the application of the
distance learning and remote work system, we see the pivotal role that the
internet plays in the continuation of the learning process. This makes us more
alert to the phenomenon of bullying in the digital space."
Sheikha
Fatima praised the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood Award for the
Prevention of Bullying in Schools, which aims to strengthen efforts to provide
a safe school environment for children.
She
added that the "Fatima bint Mubarak Motherhood and Childhood Research
Centre", based at the UAE University, aims to achieve the goals of the UAE
Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071 related to motherhood and childhood
development, through creating a database of information useful in the
decision-making process and improving national and international childhood
indexes.
Jameela
Al Muheiri, Minister of State for Public Education, affirmed that the Ministry
of Education, in cooperation with its partners from various institutions, seeks
to mobilise efforts to strengthen a noble value system for students in various
public and private schools based on the inherent heritage of the UAE society.
The
campaign serves the concepts and plans of the National Strategy for Motherhood
and Childhood and enhances the well-being of students within the school
environment as part of an integrated national effort undertaken by many federal
and local institutions and bodies to distance the school environment from any
negative aspects that affect the quality of educational practices followed in
Emirati schools, she added.
Throughout
the week, trained educators and consultants will visit public and private
schools and shed light on various issues on the subject of bullying.
15/11/2020