His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited several Dubai schools and personally interacted with students. In the UAE capital, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, surprised students and staff alike as he visited the Hamdan bin Zayed School.
In Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed's first stop was Al Maktoum Primary School for Boys, where he interacted with the children and assessed progress on the first day back from summer holidays. A video posted on Twitter by the Dubai Media Office showed him interacting with a student as he dabbed in some colours. He was then seen ruffling the hair of another boy.
He then visited the Jumeirah Model Girls School and inspected some of the classes for pupils with determination. In another video posted by the Dubai Media Office, he was seen observing keenly as a girl received her lessons.
During his tours, Sheikh Mohammed underlined the essential role played by schools in the spread of knowledge, "being key to the development and progress of nations".
He affirmed the importance of collaboration between schools and parents to help students get the best out of their educational curricula and knowledge needed to advance to the highest levels of innovation across various sectors.
Later in the day, he took to Twitter to highlight his experiences.
"A million students in the UAE went back to school today. I shared the first academic day with them. They shared power and incentive with me for greater giving and exertion for the sake of their future.
"The beginning of the new academic year is a beginning of a new active communal life.
"I would love to say to our students that 'you are our hope and future'. And to teachers, I would like to say that 'you are the maker of hope and future'. And to all educationists, I say 'thank you and many happy returns of the day'. May the UAE be on top of the ranks of education."
Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied during the tour by Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, Khalifa Saeed Soliman, Director-General of Protocols, and a number of top executives of the Dubai education sector.
In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was briefed about the educational process on the first day of school at Hamdan bin Zayed School.
A new curriculum has been introduced across all public schools in the country which will see more emphasis on science and English subjects.
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 10, 2017
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 10, 2017
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 10, 2017
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 10, 2017
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 10, 2017