Sharjah 24: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, announced the launch of the second version of the "Teachers Honour" programme at the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) in early childhood and the first cycle of teaching, because of its direct link to the development of language and culture among children.

His Highness made the announcement this morning, Saturday, during the opening ceremony of the first International Forum for Arabic Teachers, which is being held at the Sharjah Education Academy's headquarters under the theme "Arabic: Future and Identity."

At the forum, His Highness talked about how important it is to teach young people the Arabic language, improve how it is taught, and encourage students to love the language. He said this is because Arabic is the language of the Holy Quran, which is the most important thing.

His Highness talked about how important it is to keep the Arabic language alive because of how closely it is tied to religion, history, culture, and community. He said, "The Arabic language is our connection to this beautiful faith and the most important thing that brings us together from the East to the West."

His Highness emphasised the necessity of preserving the Arabic language and culture for future generations through teaching the Arabic language to children and young adults. He also said that everyone in society needs to do his or her part to keep the Arabic language alive.

His Highness urged the educators: "Our children are in your hands, so bring them up well and teach them the love of the Arabic language," It is important, according to His Highness, that teachers have a thorough grasp of Arabic culture as well as literature and language approaches. They should also be aware of the fact that children of this age have no prior knowledge of Arabic and that their home environments have a significant impact on their ability to learn the language.

His Highness said in his remarks that it is important to pay attention to Arabic's wide range of deep and nuanced meanings and varieties, notably those found in the Holy Quran. While the Arabic language bears no resemblance, His Highness advised the reciter of the Noble Quran not to haste and to take time to reflect on what the Arabic language delivers. In fact, we hold it in high regard, and we are grateful that it serves as the canon of our religious beliefs, our holy book, as well as our collective wisdom and experience.

Parents and guardians at home should keep an eye on their children's education and encourage them to speak in a proper manner. His Highness recalled his childhood, when his father corrected words from the local dialect for him and explained to him that speech must be eloquent, and that this is what parents should follow for the development of their children's learning.

His highness noted that the local dialect is a dialect of Arabic despite the fact that some letters have been less emphatic, as is the case with dialects of other Arab tribes. We do not burden individuals by requiring them to "Speak Standard Arabic"; rather, we urge them to speak Arabic while avoiding foreign terms and phrases, as the language is constantly creating new equivalents for innovations and contemporary scientific terminology.

His Highness, Sharjah Ruler, used the atom as an example, saying that the West said it did not split at a certain time, but then they split it with the reasoning of science, but the Holy Quran preceded them in that, emphasising that this is the reason for adhering to the language because of the greatness of the information contained in it. It comprises everything that came before and all that will come later.

His Highness concluded his talk by advising the younger generation to learn Arabic properly and to have faith in it since it includes everything, wishing the teachers and educators the best in the future.

Following the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates and the recitation of Holy Quran verses, Dr. Muhadtha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, delivered a speech in which she welcomed His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and thanked him for honouring the opening ceremony of the forum, highlighting His Highness's efforts and follow-up to advance the education, teaching, and learning of the Arabic language.

She stated, "We gather today for the sake of the Arabic language, to confirm that we make the workshops of this forum a laboratory in which teachers present the best practices in teaching Arabic, and to solicit an overview of these practices from the international schools that share this forum with us."

In her remarks, she mentioned a number of initiatives implemented by the Sharjah Private Education Authority to advance Arabic language teaching and learning. She also revealed that the Sharjah Education Academy has taken an unprecedented step toward the Arabization of the postgraduate diploma in education. The diploma is being developed in collaboration with Finland's University of Helsinki.

Toward the end of her remarks, the Sharjah Private Education Authority's Chairperson concluded with a quote from the book "Essential Messages," in which Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, says: "If the student is the focal point of the educational process and the target of education and training efforts, then the teacher is the student's direct guide and mentor."

The Academic Director of the Qasid Centre for Arabic Language Teaching, Dr. Khaled Abu Umaysha, delivered a speech titled "The Challenges of Teaching Arabic in Contemporary Reality, Prospects, and Ambition." The Secretary-General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, Mohammed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, gave a talk titled "Our Role in Teaching the Arabic Language."

Dr. Issa Al Hammadi, Director of the Educational Centre for the Arabic Language for the Arab Gulf States in Sharjah, presented a speech titled "The Role of Arabic Teachers in Enhancing Arabic Education."

At the conclusion of the forum's opening ceremony, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah took photographs with a group of teachers from the first batch of the "Teachers' Honour" programme and spoke with them about their teaching and educational experiences.

Prior to the opening of the forum, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah listened to a group of Sharjah schoolchildren recite a number of poems praising the significance of the Arabic language and its impact on history, culture, and knowledge. Several of the students also talked about His Highness's efforts to encourage people to learn Arabic and the unlimited support he gives to the many learning and teaching programmes.

The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education; Dr. Saeed Mousabeh Al Kaabi, Chairman of Sharjah Educational Council; Dr. Khawla Abdulrahman Al Mulla, Chairperson of the Family Affairs Authority in Sharjah, and a number of officials, and education experts.