Fifth grader Sultan Al Mazrouie has been named
the UAE’s Arab Reading Champion, after outperforming 452,000 participating
students.
Announced during a remote event, Al Mazrouie
from Ajyal International School in Abu Dhabi won the national competition of
this year’s Arab Reading Challenge that involved 90 semi-finalists, selected
from a larger pool of 540 contenders. The 11-year-old bagged the award after
the committee selected him out of 10 finalists. He read 300 books in history,
philosophy, literature and science.
Moza Al Ghannah was named this year’s
"Outstanding Supervisor" for her efforts in supporting and empowering
students to read and summarise books digitally, while Atika bint Zaid Basic
Education School bagged the UAE’s "Best School" award, beating 1,435
public and private schools.
Al Mazrouie will represent the UAE in the
regional finals of the 5th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge that will
crown the winner out of a whopping 21 million participating students from 51
countries around the world.
The final qualifications to select one winner
from each country to join the Challenge’s semi-finals are currently taking
place remotely amid health restrictions and distance learning education
strategies posed by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Students are evaluated based on text
comprehension, critical thinking, self-expression and reading diversity.
The Arab Reading Challenge, launched by the
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has had an exceptional role
this year in encouraging students to read at home as cities around the world
went on lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19. Students were provided with
a big selection of reading options online and digital files to summarize their
reading material.
The Challenge aims to make reading a lifestyle
among school students as part of the wider mission to nurture a knowledgeable
and enlightened young generation.
Al Mazrouie’s victory echoes last year’s UAE
winner Mezna Najeeb from Al Ebdaa Model School in Dubai who bagged the award as
a 5th grader after outperforming students from 1,412 public and private schools.
The national awards ceremony took place
remotely with the attendance of Jameela Al Muheiri, Minister of State for
Public Education, Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for
Care and Activities Sector at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Rabaa Al Sumaiti,
Assistant Undersecretary for the Performance Improvement Sector, and Muna Al
Kindi, Secretary General of the Arab Reading Challenge alongside school
faculty, experts, academics and judging committee members.
Jameela Al Muheiri said this year’s
overwhelming participation from the UAE reflects the passion of the future
generation to learn and read in different scope of fields.
Congratulating the winners and finalists, she
said, "Thanks to our leadership, reading has become an integral part of
life for school students and fundamental to their learning experience. Reading
takes students to explore the world beyond their academic knowledge and equips
them to develop themselves beyond educational realms. By indulging in different
fields, they discover where their true passion lies, moving them closer to use
their talents to lead their communities, and wider society, into a brighter
future."
Muna Al Kindi, Secretary General of the Arab
Reading Challenge, said, "Declaring the Arab Reading Champion on a
national level is a celebration of the efforts of thousands of students,
teachers, supervisors, parents and school administrations. This year has been
exceptional in driving students and faculty members to adjust to the digital
learning system, and with determination and passion for learning, they were
able to sustain the Challenge’s goals during these challenging times."
She added, "The purpose of the Challenge
is to introduce and foster a passion for learning among school students and we
continue to succeed in uniting young people from all over the world towards
knowledge. This unity has created hope and inspired students to turn the
difficulties of the global pandemic into an opportunity to use the time at home
in nurturing their skills, a life lesson they will take on throughout their
lives."
UAE’s finalists include: Shahd Rashid Al
Yamahi, grade 11, Al Tawyeen School Shahd Salem Abdullah Al Mazrouei, grade 5,
Al Salam School – Charter Schools Jamila Hassan Al Zaabi, grade 11, Al Shefa
bint Abdulla School Mashael Talal Mohammed, grade 12, Zayed School Complex
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Bloushi, grade 11, Al Dhmaa School Mohammed Ali Al Ketbi,
grade 10, Al Dhaid Secondary School Reem Ali Salem, grade 11, Shamal Secondary
School Islam Hazem, grade 12, Qatr Al Nahda Secondary School Ahmed Mohammed,
grade 11, Tunb Secondary School
25/10/2020