The United Arab Emirates has always cherished its identity and values, stemming from the teachings of Islam and from the rich traditions of its ancestors, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said on Wednesday.
This was stated during a forum held in Abu Dhabi for provisional accreditation and implementation of a moral education curriculum in the schools in UAE, which was attended by a number of ministers, representatives of government and educational entities, and a group of parents.
The moral education curriculum was launched by Shaikh Mohammed as a key element to develop and modernise education in the country.
The ‘Moral Education Committee’ presented the provisional accreditation and implementation plan of the moral education curriculum, which will be officially rolled out by September 2017. The pilot implementation will begin in January in 20 public and private schools.
Shaikh Mohammed was briefed on the curriculum, divided into four main pillars. These are character and ethics, individual and community, civic education and cultural education. The pillars contain more than 65 units, to be taught over a six-week period and through independent classes as part of the school’s activities and cultural events.
The moral education curriculum is a result of collaboration among the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
Shaikh Mohammed also met with a group of parents who were involved in the development of the curriculum as key partners in the initiative.
“We look forward to the support of parents. Their role is pivotal as they represent the first line in instilling ethics and a positive attitude. Home and family are the cornerstone for raising and educating children,” he said.
The success of this initiative hinges on the shared responsibility of the school, home, community and organisations, he also stated.
“The current challenges make it necessary for us to double efforts in developing the educational system and in boosting capabilities of our children through modern curricula and programmes, coupled with a solid foundation of ethics and manners, Shaikh Mohammed said while addressing the team.”
“Our children face major challenges and it is our responsibility to prepare and protect them. We should not sit back and watch. We should rather race the even light, not only the wind, to ensure that our future generations are well prepared for more achievements and progress. History will judge us on what we did for our children and our people, because the real asset of the nation is its people,” he added.
Shaikh Mohammed also expressed his confidence in the teachers who play an important role by being role models for students in proper ethical behaviour.
“For students, the teachers are beacons of motivation, not only in learning and understanding ethical and cognitive skills and values, but also in the way they practice them and embed them in their behaviour and attitudes,” he added.
Shaikh Mohammed outlined the elements that complement moral education, which include the values drawn from a tolerant religion, from genuine traditions and from the values of humanity.