Sharjah 24: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has urged the Ministry of Education (MoE) to reverse its decision to combine the Arabic language curriculum with Islamic education and social studies, asserting that doing so will have a negative impact on students' psychological health by obliterating the language they will pass on to future generations. His Highness hoped that someone would listen and that attitudes would reform.

His Highness made this remark in a phone call to the "Direct Line" programme on Sharjah Radio and Television with the journalist Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, in which he argued that Arabic language teaching should be given separate classroom time from Islamic studies and social studies, and that it should have its own textbook.

His Highness said, "My daughter spoke about the Arabic language, and we expect that many, many others will speak like her about what is happening to the Arabic language." I created the Sharjah Private Education Authority to oversee the Emirate of Sharjah's private schools, and we've already begun making necessary improvements to facilities, infrastructure, and pedagogical approaches. We've also set aside 50 million dirhams as a gift from the government to support the private education sector.

A word to the ministry 

His Highness added, "We were surprised by the Ministry of Education's decision to merge the Arabic language curriculum with Islamic education and social studies, and we urge them to reconsider this decision because it disturbs the psychological state of the learners and spoils our Arabic language," Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi added. Respect God and do not abandon your responsibilities to our language, religion, and societal studies. Nothing can excuse this behaviour, and all we can hope is that some will take notice and reconsider.
 
The ministry has been very supportive and co-operative

"We always talk to the Ministry of Education, and they listen to us in many matters," His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah, added, "and we assure our boys and daughters that we are confident that this problem will not be neglected. "We care about the Arabic language even in foreign schools, such as Victoria School, where Arabic is an important topic despite the fact that the school is foreign.
 
Female Emirati educators
 
Sheikh Sutan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Sharjah Ruler and Supreme Council member, stated, "With the development of private schools in Sharjah well underway, we already employ our educated and competent Emirati women here." "Since this generation is likely to pass on its native tongue to the next, it is important to us that we not bring teachers from overseas; instead, we have recently hired a female expert specialising in developing the Arabic language in schools."