Abu Dhabi, October 5 - Teachers are highly regarded both officially and among the general population in the United Arab Emirates, a nation that places great emphasis on providing all forms of support and care for educators. Their roles are closely tied to all development plans and future strategies.
The United Arab Emirates is keen on celebrating the "International Teacher's Day," observed on October 5 each year, as an expression of their pride in the teacher's role within society. Teachers play a crucial part in shaping future generations and enhancing the quality of educational outcomes throughout the educational system.
The United Arab Emirates aspires to build a model experience by supporting the teaching profession with qualifications, experience, and operational systems that will positively impact the enhancement of the education system. This includes achieving objectives and establishing policies and legislation to create a pioneering educational system for future generations across all domains.
During the third session of the annual government meetings in 2019, the United Arab Emirates discussed several initiatives focusing on the empowerment, appreciation, and motivation of teachers. These initiatives were designed to support and empower teachers in the Emirati school system, enhance their specialized and professional capacities, and appreciate their national efforts in preparing future generations to meet the challenges and required skills of the future for a decent life.
Last October, the Emirates School Education Foundation launched the "Taleem" Education Councils initiative for school principals and public school teachers. The aim was to involve the education sector in the development and decision-making process, benefiting from the expertise within the field, advancing the nation's aspirations, and achieving educational goals.
The "Taleem" councils include three entities: the Principals' Council, the Teachers' Council, and the Young Teachers' Council. These councils strive to represent administrative and educational leaders in decision-making processes, improve the working environment in education, and support the development of educational professions in the United Arab Emirates. They aim to find solutions to educational challenges using available innovative means.
In accordance with this initiative, the education councils present pioneering initiatives, programs, and activities scheduled throughout the school year. They organize seminars and forums on educational matters, held throughout the academic year, while allowing school principals to make decisions within successful performance indicators.
In the first fifty years of the nation's union, the number of teachers in public education in the United Arab Emirates increased from 5,530 teachers in 1975 to 108,020 teachers in 2020, reflecting a remarkable growth rate of 1,853% over the period.
The United Arab Emirates continually endeavors to launch motivational initiatives that highlight the teacher's role, effectively contributing to the improvement of education methods and means at both local and international levels. The "Mohamed bin Zayed Best Teacher Award" represents a beacon of knowledge and a distinctive initiative, recognizing creative and distinguished teachers in their schools, regions, and countries, regardless of distance. This recognition honors their noble educational efforts and their boundless dedication.
The award focuses on integrating its aspects and aligning its standards and objectives to portray the best image and offer methodological visions capable of enhancing efficiency in performance and achieving desired results.
On September 25, the award announced the start of the final voting phase for qualified teachers for the fourth session. The number of qualified teachers reached 25, each presenting pioneering initiatives related to educational and community development in various fields, such as clean energy, sustainability, the metaverse, smart educational applications, support for the determined, and post-learning.
In addition, the "Khalifa Educational Award" aims to support educational institutions and foster creativity among educators. It seeks to spread a culture of creativity and excellence among the UAE population, and it's not limited to educational institutions in the UAE but also extends to the wider Arab world. The award strives to strengthen the education sector in the UAE and beyond.
The criteria for the Khalifa Educational Award vary across different areas, including general education, special education, higher education, pedagogical research, children's educational writing, innovative educational projects and programs, legal educational personalities, as well as education and community service.
Furthermore, the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences allocates a significant portion of its efforts to support educators through various projects that encourage innovation and performance development.
To establish role models for educators, awards like the "Distinguished Teacher Award" have been granted at local and Gulf levels, with each winning teacher receiving a prize worth 60,000 dirhams.
In the realm of continuous education stimulation, the "Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum - UNESCO" award for teacher performance development, with a prize of up to $300,000, has been introduced.
The foundation also offers an innovative master's program in education for teachers interested in the field. This program, designed for those working in education, including teachers and school administrators, aims to be a significant source in preparing a generation of distinguished educators. It keeps pace with the aspirations of future education in the United Arab Emirates and is the first of its kind among regional universities.
In a similar context, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center launched the "Education Ambassadors" program. This initiative encourages outstanding teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, helping them represent their schools within the "Emirates Mars Exploration Project." The program's goals include equipping teachers with knowledge and scientific tools to develop the knowledge of future generations of scientists and engineers. It aims to build a generation that meets the country's future needs for specialized personnel in space sciences and technology.