Education Minister stresses need to educate new generation on heritage

He made the remarks in a joint ceremony of Dubai Municipality and the Ministry of Education for awarding certificates and prizes to winners of a contest on historical buildings, which was held during the academic year 2005-2006.

Essa Al Maidour, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for General Projects Affairs, Rashad Mohammed Bukhash, Director of the General Projects Department, Laila Ahmed Al Dhawadi, Director of the Student Activities Department at MoE, and officials from both the municipality and the ministry were also present during the ceremony.

A total of 54 winners from various schools and 25 from centres for special needs children were chosen in different categories of the contest which saw students from elementary, preparatory and secondary classes in schools of different emirates of the country vying for top positions.

Dr. Hanif Hassan said contests like this one would serve the purpose and goal of education. "Such activities represent the cornerstone of an education system in which all abilities and skills of a student are taken into consideration," he noted.

Al Maidour said the contest was organised with the objective of connecting the young generation with the heritage of their forefathers.

"It's very important to spread knowledge about the past heritage among students and the youth who are the torch-bearers of the future good of this country," he added.

The unique contest on historic buildings, organised by Dubai Municipality, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Youth for the third consecutive year, saw more than 100 per cent increase in participation this year as there were more than 450 entries from schools and 105 entries from centres for special needs children, in contrast to 212 and 14 entries respectively during last year. It was organised during the period from September 2005 to April 2006.

The winners were chosen in four categories of the contest, which saw students from elementary, preparatory and secondary grades in schools of different emirates of the country vying for top positions.

The students were asked to participate in the contest with paintings, photos, reports or replicas of historic buildings across the country.

Rashad Bukhash said the municipality, beyond its role as a government body rendering civic services, plays a crucial role in educating different segments of the society on the country's heritage especially in the field of architecture and construction.

"This contest was organised with the objective of connecting the young generation with the heritage of their forefathers," he said.

Bukhash noted that the Historic Buildings Section at the General Projects Department has been spearheading the efforts to promote architectural heritage of the country through field visits to the historical areas of the emirate, heritage contests, and lectures and seminars.

"We have also included heritage information in the education curriculum as well so that students in schools, universities and other educational institutions can be better informed about the nation's heritage," he said.