World Teachers' Day: UAE President thanks educators for 'dedicated service to the nation'

As the UAE celebrates World Teachers Day on Saturday, October 5, President Sheikh Mohamed praised the work done by educators in the country and thanked them for their "dedicated service to the nation."

In a post on X, Sheikh Mohamed said that teachers have played a very significant role in moulding generations and inspiring young minds.

"World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to recognise the vital role played by teachers in nurturing the next generation and inspiring young minds. Education remains a foundation of the UAE’s ongoing progress, with teachers at the heart of this vision, and we thank them for their dedicated service to our nation," Sheikh Mohamed said in the post.

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Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed had announced that February 28 will be celebrated as the Emirati Day for Education.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, too thanked the teachers and said that the "nation appreciates you."

"The teacher is the one who turns his classroom into a gateway to unleash the potential of an entire generation... The teacher is the one who ignites in us the love of learning... This love that stays with us forever... The teacher, with simple tools of a book, information and will, is the one who can shape life and create the future... On World Teachers' Day, we tell them... The nation appreciates you... There are no limits to your thanks... Because there are no limits to your influence," the Dubai Ruler wrote on X.

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said teachers are role models and the makers of furure leaders.

“On World Teachers’ Day, we renew our appreciation and gratitude to the role models of generations and the makers of future leaders, for their sincere efforts in raising our children on virtuous values, high ideals and good citizenship, and in carrying out their noble mission in enhancing the role of science and knowledge in raising the nation and building its bright future. Teachers are the cornerstone of our educational and pedagogical system for building our future generations,” Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi posted on X.

Smart education system

The UAE has been ranked first globally in three indexes related to the Sustainable Development Goal 4 of Quality Education, according to a report published on Emirates News Agency WAM in 2021.

According to several key international organisations in the field of competitiveness, the UAE maintained its leadership in these indexes since 2020, it said.

The UAE has strengthened its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to guarantee inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as well as explained its pioneering initiatives aimed at supporting the efforts of several countries to achieve this goal.

Since 2012, the UAE has implemented a smart education system aimed at harnessing technology and providing remote learning services to students under all circumstances. This system has played a pivotal role in ensuring the continuity of education services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under this framework, over 25,000 tutors were trained remotely using smart technologies, while computers and tablets were provided to students to support the remote learning process.

The UAE is also keen to prioritise education in its foreign aid. It has supported the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) with Dh367 million paid over three years from 2018 to 2020, to support the education systems of 90 countries. It also pledged to provide an addition Dh367 million to support the Strategic Education Plan 2021-2025.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives has helped build over 2,126 schools and trained 400,000 teachers around the world through 2019, while its programmes in 2020 have reached out to 45.5 million people. It has also allocated Dh265 million to continue existing programmes.

Empowering teachers

Meanwhile, Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, UAE's Minister of Education said that the empowering teachers is at the forefront of the country's priorities.

"The UAE views teachers as key partners in advancing its education system and places their empowerment at the forefront of its priorities, as they are the foundation of the educational process and the guarantee for its progress and leadership," Al Amiri told WAM.

• UAE: Feb 28 will be a day to recognise those who 'teach from the heart', say educators