Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi with officials and honourees at the event to mark the World Teachers’ Day.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education honoured 100 long-serving teachers on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day yesterday.
Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the State of Qatar celebrated World Teachers’ Day, held annually on October 5, with the theme of ‘Messenger of Knowledge... Thank You’.
The event was also live-streamed on the ministry’s YouTube channel.
Addressing the event, Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed
Al Hammadi said the strategy for education and training sector 2018-2022 and the ministry’s plan for the current academic year 2021-22 included many initiatives and programmes to raise the capabilities of teachers in using modern technologies.
He said Qatar, under the wise leadership and sound directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is keen to raise educational efficiency through preparing qualified teachers to employ modern technology in the field of teaching and assessment. The Minister said Qatar was one of the first countries to introduce e-learning in schools.
He said the celebration of World Teachers’ Day comes as an affirmation of the commitment of Qatar and an embodiment of the right of its children to education, and the right of teachers to care and attention, and this is guaranteed by the country’s Constitution and the Qatar National Vision 2030. The Minister said the day enhanced citizens’ awareness of teachers’ issues and professional concerns and renewed the commitment to support and care for them.
Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi addressing the event to mark World Teachers’ Day. PIC: Rajan
He said the theme of World Teachers’ Day 2021 was ‘Teachers at the heart of education recovery’.
Al Hammadi said teachers deserve to be recognised more for their great jobs and carrying noble educational and moral messages.
Unicef Head of Office in Qatar, Anthony MacDonald, also addressed the event delivering a joint statement from Unesco, Unesif, ILO and Education International for the occasion. “Nearly two years since the outbreak of the pandemic, many education systems are still facing significant disruption,” said MacDonald.
He added that students and teachers in 60 countries remained affected by full or partial school closures, and whether the students were learning in person or remotely teachers were at the heart of the process.
MacDonald said teachers had been on the front lines to ensure a learning continuity when schools were closed and to provide social and economical support to the students especially to most vulnerable ones.
“They had rapidly adopted the remote learning and managed new digital tools often without training. Today they must assess and address learning losses among their students, cope with the issues of health and safety in the classrooms and leverage remote, hybrid, and in person methods to minimise the disruption caused by the pandemic,” said MacDonald.
“Today we celebrate the exceptional dedication and courage of teachers in all over the world as well as their capacity to adopt and innovate in the challenging and uncertain condition. Now, it is time to recognise the exceptional roles the teachers play and to empower them with a training, professional development, support and working condition they need to deploy their talents.”
Sheikha Al Jaber, a teacher who also spoke on the occasion, said, “Teachers play key roles in building new generations who contribute greatly in the development of their country.
