The Ministry of Education, represented by the Care & Activities Sector, is preparing to organize school trips for students in grades 4-12 to visit several scientific, historical, religious, entertainment, artistic and national sites within the UAE during the summer holidays under the logo Get to Know UAE During Summer Holidays, due to the importance of trips in complementing curricula. These trips afford the opportunity to strengthen and enhance learning experiences of students through seeing practical applications and practises of what was provided in their academic curriculums.
Moza Al Khatiri, Head of the Talent Department at the Ministry, stressed that school trips work on establishing the values of loyalty and belonging to the nation by visiting museums and various development facilities to observe the magnitude of the renaissance of civilization witnessed by the country in all active fields. He noted that trips provide students with various behaviours such as self-dependence, bearing responsibility and establishing positive social relationships with all members of society, as well as providing students with facts and concepts derived from direct experiences and applications.
Al Khatiri indicated that school trips broaden Emirati students’ perceptions, develop their scientific, life and behavioural skills through seeing new places and cultures, familiarizing them with the settings available in society and their common customs, in addition to developing students’ mental abilities and technical, scientific and social skills. They are considered a successful way to spend spare time in a positive and constructive manner which benefit their perceptions.
Moza Al Khatiri indicated that the Ministry designated a set of controls and mechanisms aimed at regulating trips and achieving the objectives thereof, whereby schools trips are to relate to the academic curriculum, so that it is possible to match what the student studies with what he sees in his community. The trips should also accomplish many benefits, raise students’ awareness and strengthen pride in their Arab and Islamic identity, in addition to the opportunity of interactive sharing through posting photos and videos of the highlights of what they learned and saw during the trip through #gettoknowUAE.
The Ministry approved around 17 destinations in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for students taking part in school trips, including Masdar City, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Wahat Al Karama, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Emirates Zoo in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre and Al Foua Farm in Al Ain, while destinations to be visited by students in Dubai included the Nobel Museum at Creek Park, the Positive Energy Exhibition at Zabeel Park, Dubai Butterfly Garden, Union Iron & Steel factories, Jumeirah Zoo, in addition to the entertainment destination “Motion Gate”. The trips also included three destinations in Sharjah which are the Science Museum, Classic Car Museum and the Islamic Botanical Garden.
18/06/2017