The Ministry of Education (MOE) organized a dialogical meeting and gathered the MOE’s leaders and students' parents at Rixos Hotel in Ras al-Khaimah under the title of "An overview of the UAE School", within the framework of its concentrated efforts aiming at introducing the new system of UAE schools on a large scale, its approach based on documenting its relevance to all aspects of the educational field, and asserting the importance of interaction and adoption of its views, in particular the parents.
This meeting was attended by HE Marwan Al-Sawale, MOE undersecretary of the Academic Affairs, HE Khuloud Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Control Sector, HE Dr. Hamad Al Yahyai, Assistant Undersecretary of Curriculum and Assessment Sector, HE Dr. Amna Al Dahak, Assistant Undersecretary for Welfare and Activities Sector, Eng. Majid Al Shamsi, Director of Facilities Department in the MOE and Samaya Hareb, Director of the Educational Zone in Ras al-Khaimah along with a number of government officials and a large number of students' parents in Ras al-Khaimah.
At the beginning of his speech, HE Marwan Al-Sawaleh stressed that the MOE believes that the development approach in education must have several dimensions as its basis should be those who are concerned with development in the first place, including parents, teachers, students and otherwise, in a manner ensuring a unified view promoting the educational system as the final outcome.
He added that the MOE, in order to achieve this goal, adopted a mechanism to promote the convergence of standpoints to take advantage of the opinions of the field, through continuous and periodic meetings with educational process leaders. These meetings embody this vision and enrich the MOE's stock of development ideas and proposals which emerge from the field, which is abounding with constructive criticism and distinguished ideas by different groups, mostly students' parents.
His Highness stated that the MOE is eager to activate the role of parents by informing them of the various development plans adopted by the MOE, with a view to sharing their opinions on such plans, placing them at the heart of the new educational philosophy and stating their importance to achieve the educational outcomes that keep up with ambitions, calling them at the same time to communicate with the MOE through the available various communication channels to get information from its reliable sources.
Al-Sawaleh emphasized the importance of the role of parents in the success of the plans of the MOE as they are the cornerstone of educational work, where the MOE looks forward to activating the role of parents' councils so that their role integrates with the role of various components of the educational system; to establish an educational system which meets the aspirations of UAE society and achieves the nation's vision of 2021 and its relevant national goals.
His Excellency stated that the MOE was earnestto organize this meeting and other meetings before the beginning of the new academic year, to monitor the opinions and proposals of the field and then study and transfer such opinions and proposals to the concerned sectors in the MOE, in order to take them into consideration and apply them on the ground.
The meeting witnessed a wide participation and outstanding interaction by students' parents who provided many enlightened and positive proposals and opinions, all of which contribute to the development of learning environments.
HE Dr. Hamad Al Yahyai stated, in response to enquiries about curricula and the development of educational field cadres, that school curriculum is a source of education, indicating that the educational process is based on the teacher who masters the use of his tools and his ability to understand and deliver the objectives of the curriculum to students in a smooth manner, based on participation and interaction in classroom.
He indicated that the MOE worked to empower and develop education field cadres through organizing specialized training programs, contributing to the achievement of required and targeted learning outcomes, stating that there are ambitious plans developed by the MOE to take advantage of modern education methods and make them available to students.
He explained, in a response to a query about the efficiency of students in the Arabic language, that the MOE took practical steps which contributed to raising the efficiency of students in Arabic, including making it mandatory to speak Arabic during school classes, which will have a great impact on improving the performance of students in their mother tongue.
HE Khuloud Al Qasimi explained, in response to a query about the moral education subject, that the MOE has developed plans for the next academic year which can deliver the values, objectives and philosophy of such subjects to students in different educational stages, stressing that the moral education subject will be an addition to the curriculum, with its educational value aiming at enhancing the behavior of students, building generations proud of their national identity, and to be loving, tolerant, responsible and giving generations.
On her part, HE Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi stated that the MOE was keen on developing the skills of students through encouraging and motivating them to innovate, and giving them the opportunity to work collectively on projects set by the MOE through school curricula She stated that the MOE actively contributes and participates in events and exhibitions at local and global levels, to help students acquire the skills of critical and analytical thinking, scientific research, to unleash their abilities and refine their talents.
She explained that the MOE pays particular attention to the students who are Determined Ones and constantly develops the tools and rules used to deal with them in order to integrate them into learning communities, in addition to developing smart educational solutions which fit each case separately.
Eng. Majid Al Shamsi answered a question provided by a parent about the structure and constructional position of the schools in Ras al-Khaimah. He said that the MOE has a comprehensive plan to develop the schools in the Emirate, stating that the MOE communicates with the concerned government authorities in each emirate to identify and demarcate lands for establishing schools and identifying the new areas in the same emirate.
17/07/2017