Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, set out the agenda for the future of education as a renewed call was made for school staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Sheikh Abdullah chaired an online meeting of the Education and Human Resources Council.
During the meeting, Minister of State for Public Education Jameela Al Muhairi reviewed plans to develop vaccination protocols for the country's schools.
Ms Al Muhairi stressed the importance of widespread inoculation in ensuring a safe and healthy school community.
This month, Sheikh Abdullah urged teachers and other school employees to take the Covid-19 vaccine and support a return to normality.
"We look forward to the return of our sons and daughters to their schools, to develop their capacities and skills in a safe and healthy academic environment where they can be overachievers, preparing a promising generation capable of leading the country in the future," he said at the time.
Those efforts were boosted this week when the UAE approved the use of the coronavirus vaccine for teenagers aged 16 and above.
The decision was made by the Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday.
It was welcomed by school leaders who said it provided hope after a year of disruption for the education sector.
Allowing older pupils to be vaccinated was regarded by school heads as key to securing a permanent return to the classroom.
Public and private schools in Abu Dhabi will use distance learning for at least the next two weeks amid an increase in Covid-19 cases.
Schools in Dubai and Sharjah continue to provide blended models of in-person and remote learning.
More than two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across the country to date.
Sheikh Abdullah is one of several senior figures in the country to be vaccinated.
Sheikh Abdullah supports digital drive
Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the role of digital media in education in preparing learners for careers increasingly influenced by advances in technology.
He said digital media was crucial in “strengthening the education system to build a new generation of skilled and qualified professionals”.
The council reviewed a proposal by the New Media Academy on the launch of an advanced academic training programme, which aims to integrate digital skills into the education system.
Rashid Al Awadhi, chief executive of the academy, said the scheme would enable teachers to integrate digital media principles and skills into the school curriculum from an early stage.
Pupils return to classrooms after Covid-19 moved learning online:
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
