UAE to start moral education in schools

NATION’S DEVELOPMENT DEPENDS ON THOSE CORE VALUES, MOHAMMAD BIN ZAYED SAYS

Schools in the UAE, in a major initiative to teach ethics and human rights, will offer moral education as part of their curriculums.

The initiative was announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The subject will focus on five key elements — ethics, personal and community development, culture and heritage, civic education and human rights and responsibilities.

The development of a nation is largely dependent on how well it preserves its values and morals, regardless of its level of achievement and sophistication, Shaikh Mohammad said.

Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, director-general of Abu Dhabi Education Council, hailed the initiative saying it was based on Shaikh Mohammad’s staunch belief in the important role of values in building a nation.

Al Nuaimi said work is under way to implement the initiative and achieve its goals.

chools across the country must now offer Moral Education as a mandatory subject and part of their curricula, following a directive issued yesterday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The subject must focus on the teaching of five key elements — ethics, personal and community development, culture and heritage, civic education and human rights and responsibilities. Its inclusion in the curriculum will be overseen by the UAE Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and other educational authorities in the country.

A committee will also be formed to develop the basis and criteria of Moral Education as a subject, and ensure that it remains in line with the UAE’s cultural identity, customs and tradition.

In addition, the committee will contribute to the efforts of various institutions to integrate the content into the national education curriculum.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Shaikh Mohammad said that the development of a nation is largely dependant on how well it preserves its values and morals, regardless of its level of achievement and sophistication.

He added that the UAE is unique in its legacy of conserving its cultural identity and moral values, including tolerance, respect, cooperation, community service, charity and sacrifice.

Education plays a growing role in creating future generations that are proactive, ambitious and fair in their dealings, Shaikh Mohammad said.

“Through reinforcing values that have enabled the UAE to become what it is now, and by highlighting our national role models and their remarkable achievements, we hope to pass on these [valuable] lessons to future generations,” he said.

He also stressed that families play a pivotal role in driving Moral Education learning forward.

“The UAE already leads the way in being a hub of tolerance, and moral values at school will simply help the country maintain this lofty position,” she said.

Al Mazroui feels that it is important for schools to teach Moral Education as a separate subject.

“This way, there will be more focus on these important personal skills. As parents, we try to model good behaviours as much as possible, but the fact remains that children spend most of their alert, waking hours at school. So, this will be the best time for them to learn about morality,” she explained.

Rashid Al Shamsi, 43, an Emirati patient relationship manager and father of four, said, “The world is so fast-paced and many families have both parents working. So, schools can play an important role in imparting moral values and helping children differentiate between right and wrong,” he said.