PARIS, Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Al Maktoum Foundation, has honoured the winners of “Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum – UNESCO” Prize for Teacher Development in its seventh session.
In his speech on this occasion, Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum expressed his appreciation to UNESCO, led by its Director-General Audrey Azoulay, and all the officials and employees of this enormous international organisation for their great efforts and extensive support for education, culture, and science in numerous nations, areas, and continents, and the assistance it offers for the upkeep of human civilisation, the enrichment of cultural diversity, and the development of creativity.
Sheikh Rashid highlighted the strong connections between UNESCO and the UAE under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
He congratulated the winners of the Prize and the staff members of the Hamdan Foundation and UNESCO, including the arbitrators, administrators, and coordinators, emphasising that “by sustaining our distinguished performance, we will be able to accomplish many of the objectives necessary to create a prosperous system.
“I also take this chance to reconfirm that Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, which we are celebrating its silver jubilee, is committed to supporting the organisation’s efforts as we announce new support for the Hamdan UNESCO Fund with an additional budget to finance new projects, believing that the transformation in education begins with empowered teachers. I am also pleased to announce that Hamdan Foundation and the International Team of Teachers have partnered to finance the project of publishing a new report about the status of teachers around the world in 2023,” he added.
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance and UNESCO honoured the winners of three innovative projects in the Prize from Benin, Haiti and Lebanon, all of which contributed to improving teachers’ performance and enhancing their role in transforming education in and around their communities.
The honouring ceremony coincided with World Teachers’ Day which was held this year under the theme “Transformation in Education Begins with Teachers”.
This year’s winners, which include three international institutions, were recognised for their efforts as they applied the standards and criteria most effectively, as determined by UNESCO and the Hamdan Foundation.
Graines de Paix, in Benin, won for its programme “Apprendre en paix, Enseigner sans violence” (Learning in Peace, Education without Violence), which provides transformative educational solutions that reduce violence in education and in society. Over 4,500 teachers have been trained, 2,500 parents have been sensitised, and more than 250,000 children were reached through the project.
The American University of Beirut was granted the Award for its “TAMAM Project for School-Based Educational Reform,” a research-based programme where university researchers work closely with educational practitioners to generate strategies that are grounded in the sociocultural contexts of the Arab region.
P4H Global of Haiti was recognised for its project “Training Teachers to Transform Haiti,” an innovative programme dedicated to improving the quality of education in Haiti through the training of teachers and school directors, parents, and community members. The project is based on a cycle that begins with a diagnosis of schools, training, distance coaching, and class observation. Its goal is for teachers to avoid corporal punishment and transform their teaching methods into effective, student-centred strategies that cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity inside the classroom.
Since 2011, the three-year intensive programme has benefited 8,000 educators and 350,000 students in all ten of Haiti’s departments. 70% of the training are provided to schools in rural settings due to the lack of support and resources in those areas.
Launched in 2008, Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum-UNESCO Award for Teacher Development aims to support and encourage all candidates that have outstanding contributions in enhancing the efficiency and performance of teachers around the world, which is in line with the principles and goals of UNESCO.
Source: Emirates News Agency