More than Dh1.3 million in prizes await winners of the 28th Sharjah Educational Excellence Award.
The annual award by Sharjah Education Council is aimed at recognising outstanding work in advancing the educational system in the country.
People from the educational community, including teachers, pupils, parents, institutions and supportive staff, are eligible to apply.
They need to provide official and supporting documents that explain their work on the award’s website https://award-shj.ae/.
Applications will be reviewed by a team of experts before results are announced in January next year.
Dr Saeed Al Kaabi, Chairman of Sharjah Education Council, announced the award’s full digital transformation as part of its new strategy during a ceremony held in Sharjah on Friday.
“We launch a new strategy in order to continue achieving remarkable results in the process of developing the educational system, which is a priority for the Emirate of Sharjah,” said Dr Al Kaabi.
His address was relayed to the audience through hologram technology as he was unable to attend in person.
From submitting applications to assessment, the award will become paperless this year to encourage more people to take part and share their experiences.
Dr Al Kaabi said applicants can inquire through the award’s social media accounts facebook.com/sharjahsec, instagram.com/sec_sharjah, and twitter.com/SEC_Sharjah.
Alia Al Hosani, director of the award, said more categories have been introduced this year to involve all members of the educational field.
“A significant category that has been added this year is Al Jawharah, which will be granted to a distinguished personality for their individual achievements and initiatives that have left a valuable educational impact,” Ms Al Hosani said.
“For this category, personalities can apply or be nominated by their institutions and the prize for one winner will be Dh100,000.”
A total of Dh335,000 in prizes will be given to six winners in the category of distinguished institutions such as nurseries, schools and establishments that support education.
Another Dh170,000 will be given to eight winners in the distinguished work teams category.
Distinguished individuals category will include teachers, educational leaders pupils, supporting staff members and parents.
Twenty outstanding pupils from second to 12th grades will be awarded Dh20,000 each as part of this category while Dh130,000 will be given to four outperforming teachers.
Another Dh210,000 is dedicated to exceptional educational leaders, supporting staff members, and parents.
Ms Al Hosani said a cartoon has been created to support the goals of the award and will be available soon on a number of local channels, including Sharjah TV.
“The Heroes of Excellence cartoon is new to the award and will be highlighting the importance of developing and refining capabilities and skills of all members of the educational community,” Ms Al Hosani said.
Launched in 1994 by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, the award is the oldest in the history of the UAE that promotes excellence and innovation, recognises outstanding performers, and encourages improvement among educational professionals and establishments, pupils and parents.
Last year, 799 applicants from public and private educational establishments singed up compared with 575 in the previous edition.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
