'Excel - and make it to the top': UAE leaders wish school pupils well ahead of new term

More than a million pupils return to class after a long summer break

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - June 15, 2018: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (L), receives HH Sheikh Mohamed bin RaShow more

The leaders of the UAE have urged pupils to seize the chance to "excel" in their education as more than a million children begin the new school term on Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said "dreams" begin in classrooms as young people prepare themselves for the world.

"Tomorrow, we start our academic year and carry on the million students’ journey in our land," he wrote on Twitter.

"My words to them are this: your school builds you so you can build your country; it gives you knowledge so you can give us your hard work; from your classrooms our dreams will begin; and on your notebooks you will outline the future of your country.

"With you the homeland rises… so make your schools a homeland for you. May God guide you and bless you."

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, also said on Twitter that young people must aspire to more than just "passing by".

"A new school year filled with positivity. My children, be determined to obtain knowledge and commit to good morals and ethics. Continue your educational journey with all seriousness and hard work, as our goal is no longer to pass only - but to excel and make it to the top."

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Back to school series:

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Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, wished pupils well on an exciting learning journey.

"I wish all students a fresh learning journey, full of passion for knowledge and discovery," news agency Wam quoted him as saying.

Sheikh Fatima, the wife of the late founding president, Sheikh Zayed, also urged students to work hard, be diligent in their academic work.

''Nations make progress by the rapid progress achieved in education, knowledge and scientific research as these constitute the building blocks for the present and future,'' she was quoted by Wam as saying.

''High-quality education and provision of world-class, advanced learning methods and tools are among the top priorities of the country's leadership."