ABU DHABI // Pupils at public secondary schools will soon receive storage boxes to allow them to safeguard and organise their personal documents.
The boxes are being distributed as part of the My Archive My Future campaign, launched by the National Archives in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council on Wednesday.
The box is about the size of a briefcase and comes with a notebook, pen, informational pamphlet and an instruction booklet talking about the merits of safely storing personal documents.
“We are targeting students because they are really important for us, for the future of this nation,” said Majid Al Mehairi, executive director of National Archives. “Through this box we want to deliver a message. It’s not that this box is a magic box and through it they will preserve everything they have.
“We are putting a direct message to students through the box to tell them that it’s important for you to learn about archiving, to learn about how to classify any document you have. Don’t mix everything together. It’s important to classify your certificates, your research papers, personal documents, photos.”
Starting this month, 30,000 boxes will be distributed to the pupils in Abu Dhabi and another 70,000 will be handed out in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
The National Archives is also heading a contest to help encourage youngsters to store their government papers and other historical documents, said Husniya Al Ali, the organisation’s head of educational programmes section.
The contest offers three categories: best school archives, best pupil archive set and the best historical document. Prizes, which have yet to be determined, will be awarded in May.
“It’s an awareness programme, we are aiming to reach school students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 from all the government schools,” said Mrs Al Ali. “The idea is to spread awareness among the students about the importance of the archives and what the archives reflects – the history and the national identity of us in the nation.”
The My Archive My Future is an extension of the Watheq campaign the National Archives launched last year targeting Emirati families. This year, another 250,000 small containers will be distributed to Emirati families as part of Watheq.
Mrs Al Ali said pupils should store personal documents, such as their certificates, government identification cards, passports, transcripts and other items such as photographs, drawings and essays.
They need these items “because in our culture, no one maintains any paper, they keep it in different places and when they need it they start searching for it”, said Ms Al Ali.
“We want to make sure they understand the need to maintain their documents, as well if they have any necessary documents, any historical documents that is within their family’s treasure.”
Dr Mohamed Yousif Baniyas, executive director of Adec’s higher education department, said the documents comprise pieces of the nation’s collective history.
“It gives them cultural identity,” said Dr Baniyas.
rpennington@thenational.ae
