Confusion continues over unified academic calendar in UAE

Dubai: Confusion over the academic calendar of private schools continues as many parents are still awaiting letters from schools for exam and holiday dates as the Ministry of Education insists no schools will get any leeway.

While schools in Dubai have been given leeway by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to follow their respective calendars, the Ministry of Education insists no school will be exempted from the unified calendar and the new rules will be implemented fully in all schools and universities across the country.

"The unified calendar will be implemented because it is meant to protect the strong bonds of the families and make life easier for people living in the UAE, including Emiratis as well as expatriates," said Humaid Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education, speaking to Gulf News.

Fully achieved

He said: "When deciding the calendar we were aware of the difficulties faced by many schools and universities who are linked to foreign educational systems and we see no harm in the schools having links to foreign systems. But we don't see this has anything to do with the unification of the holidays and breaks."

Adding that the ministry is ready to help and is willing to be flexible on minor issues, he said: "The Ministry of Higher Education and Research as well as Ministry of Education were entrusted by the leadership of the country to implement the goals of unification and it will be achieved fully from the coming academic year all over the country."

Citing the Abu Dhabi Educational Council he insisted that with 183 schools in Abu Dhabi, Adec has been able to implement the calendar without any problem and "we see no problem in its implementation in other parts of the country".

Meanwhile, KHDA on Wednesday said it would stick to its decision announced on Sunday. Gulf News had quoted KHDA's chief of Regulation and Compliance on Sunday as saying the authority would exempt private schools from the unified calendar on a case by case basis, provided the schools complied with the number of school days and school hours approved by the authority.

No information

Following the announcement, approved schools in Dubai have started to send their dates for exams and holidays to parents.

However, the situation is not the same in Sharjah and other emirates.

Speaking to Gulf News many parents whose children study at international curriculum schools said that normally by this time of year they receive dates from schools, but this year there has been no communication in this regard so far.

"I have four children going to two different schools, one follows the Indian curriculum and the other UK curriculum. I have received the circular from the Indian school but so far there is no communication from the other school. Normally they send it by late April or early May but so far we haven't received it, we are waiting for it to plan our holidays," said Mohammad Salah.

Another parent whose two children attend Al Ansar International School said though end of term exams were approaching, he was still waiting.

"I have been waiting for the holiday dates from the school as I need to book my tickets for the vacation and without the dates it is difficult, the longer I will wait the costlier it will be for me," he said.

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International Interest Continues To Grow In Sharjah’s Museums

French and British delegations toured a number of museums across the emirate of Sharjah last week, where delegation members were met by representatives of the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), including senior officials headed by Maissa Al Suwaidi, Head of Museum Operations at SMD, on behalf of the Director General, Ms Manal Ataya.

The visit was arranged upon request from the British Council, and the delegation was composed of high-profile officials from the Council, including Graham Sheffield, Director of Arts, and Steve Stining, Director of Arts: MENA. During their visit, the department’s strategic vision and the long standing position of the Sharjah emirate as the regional capital of culture and art was discussed. The objective of the visit to present current achievements and discuss future cooperation with the British Council and the Sharjah Museums Department. Sharjah Museums Department thanked the British Council for its support and successful joint activities it has conducted over the past few years.

Al Suwaidi received the visitors at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, where they toured the museum and its galleries to see the collections, which amount to some 5,000 objects from all over the Islamic world. These artefacts provide a fascinating insight into the development of Islamic art and civilization, and showcase the most important achievements in science and art from the early Islamic period to about 1,400 years into modern times. In addition to the tour, the delegates were also introduced the museum’s educational programmes.

The delegation also visited the Sharjah Arts Museum, where they toured the temporary exhibitions including the solo exhibtions of Dr Najat Maki’s "Colorful Rhythms",and the Venezuelan exhibition "Independence after 200 years", and "Voyage to Persia", which showcase works from the unique collection of HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. They were introduced to the educational and familiarisation workshops and programmes organised at the museum for each of the exhibitions with the aim of enhancing artistic culture among all social groups. The workshops target all age groups, from school and university students to teachers, artists and intellectuals.

The Sharjah Art Foundation was the delegation’s last stop in the emirate. There, they were received by the management team, and introduced to the cultural vision the emirate of Sharjah seeks to achieve through the Foundation and in coordination with government departments and relevant authorities. The government departments work together to innovate, develop and continue to reach global audiences through a multitude of tailored programs and activities.

The delegates stressed the importance of the visit, which significantly contributed to enhancing their knowledge about the cultural and artistic activities in Sharjah, and the ways of reaching the desired goals of establishing a vibrant cultural environment in all seven emirates.

Ms Ataya commended the visit, saying: "It is very important to have high-profile experts such as Mr Graham Sheffield and Mr Steve Stining visit our museums, view in depth our activities and show commitment to working with us for the long term. The exchange of experiences with UK cultural bodies will help SMD to further develop its performance and activities to world-class levels".

On the same day, and in coordination with the Abu Dhabi-based Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the Sharjah Museums Department hosted a delegation of eight directors and experts from Agence France Museums. They were escorted in a tour to Sharjah Archaeology Museum, where they learnt about the history of archeological exploration in the emirate and the most important sites discovered; the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, where they learnt about the artefacts and activities of the museum; the Sharjah Art Museum, where they viewed the existing temporary and permanent exhibitions; and the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum, where they learnt about the annual activities and the work mechanism, in addition to the awards and initiatives adopted by the SMD and the museum to maintain Arabic calligraphy.

Al Suwaidi delivered a detailed presentation about the applicable administrative procedures in SMD, the divisions and department operating under the umbrella of the SMD, and the efforts to develop long-term strategic plans that aim to raise awareness on the importance of museums. Members of the delegation admired the contents and activities of the museums, expressing their interest in enhancing cooperation with the department.

Ms Ataya, SMD Director General, commented on the visits: " The interest shown by Agence France Museums, which was established for the exchange of scientific, cultural and technical experiences with French museums, denotes the cultural value of Sharjah museums and the importance of their offering to public. We are pleased with such opportunity of exchanging experience and presenting our methods and policies to high level experts.

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Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah Continues To Show Social Awareness With The Responsible Business

The Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah hosted the second Can Collection Drive in Sharjah on 07th May 2011 wherein a total of 552 Kilogram of cans was collected. The Can Collection Drive is an annual event organized by the Emirates Environmental Group Dubai. The hotel has been supporting the event since 2004. After the success of the first Can Collection Drive on February this year, the Emirates Environmental Group decided to have it again on May 2011 which is indeed another achievement for the organization.
In line with this, the Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah is now preparing for more responsible activities for the coming months. On June 2011, the hotel will start using recycled papers in offices and for internal printouts. To celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan, the hotel is planning to have an Iftar Party for the Staff and a Charity Iftar with Sharjah Community in August 2011.
After the successful Responsible Activities done by the hotel, same activities were planned for the coming months such as Blood Donation Drive in October 2011, Tree Planting in November 2011, Walk to Work Campaign, and Clean Up UAE Campaign which were both planned during the winter season in December 2011.
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