“Climate Change” explores the environmental awareness of the “educational field”

The Sharjah Private Education Authority directed parties in the educational field in the emirate to participate in the annual survey of the state of environmental awareness and behavior for the year 2023, which was launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, with the aim of assessing and monitoring the level of environmental awareness among students, workers in the educational field, and community members, including parents, and the implications of… This awareness of their behavior contributes to developing appropriate plans and initiatives to improve the levels of environmental awareness and behavior among these groups.

The authority called on the emirate’s schools to circulate the questionnaire to those targeted to fill out the questionnaire, which includes the category of students in public and private education from the second cycle and the secondary stage, workers in the educational sector, parents and all members of society, with the last date for registration being Thursday, February 8, 2024.

Regarding the questionnaire directed to students, educational field workers, and parents, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment identified several axes, the first of which is the awareness/knowledge section, by answering the extent of students’ knowledge that climate changes are changes that continue and extend over a specific period of time, most often decades or longer. Moreover, it may result from internal natural processes or external influences, in addition to the extent of their knowledge of the phenomenon of global warming.

The questionnaire included the extent of students’ knowledge of the number of natural reserves in the country, the extent of their knowledge of biosecurity concerned with the safety of humans, animals, plants, and environmental diversity from the danger of biological factors, as well as the extent of their knowledge of the term “biodiversity,” then assessments of the seriousness of environmental issues in terms of their current impact on the environment in the Emirates. The student chooses from “does not constitute a concern” to “most dangerous.”

Among the issues raised in the questionnaire were: waste, air quality, climate change, global warming, groundwater, water, biodiversity, and biosecurity.

This comes as the Sharjah Private Education Authority organized the meeting of the Private School Directors Council for the current year 2024, in its second session, at the headquarters of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, with the aim of selecting the Executive Committee of the Council of Private School Directors in Sharjah.

The head of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, stressed the importance of the council and its role in building bridges of communication with private schools, noting that this consultative meeting contributes greatly to the exchange of ideas and experiences between school principals, and enhancing common understanding, aimed at developing the private education sector. In the Emirate of Sharjah, explaining at the same time the importance of this type of periodic meetings that establish a culture of effective communication and cooperation, and reflect the Authority’s commitment to achieving the highest levels of educational excellence and sustainable development in the educational community.

In turn, the Director of the Authority, Ali Al Hosani, stressed the Authority’s role in empowering schools to achieve sustainable development through coordination and cooperation between private school principals to achieve educational goals, calling on everyone to make more efforts and focus on specific projects that highlight the potential of the Emirate. Sharjah in the education sector, in light of the great support that the educational field enjoys from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

The meeting witnessed the formation of the Electoral Committee for the School Directors Council, where the director of the American Creative Scientific Private School, Majd Hussein, was elected as Chairman of the Council, the Director of the Victoria International School in Khor Fakkan, James Stanley Stearns, was elected as Vice-Chairman, the Director of the GEMS Westminster Private School, Valerie Thompson, was elected as Secretary, and the Director of the Tarim School. The American Private School, Dr. Raed Sobhi, and the director of the International Scientific Creativity Private School, Samar Murad, were executive members. The meeting also concluded with the signing of the membership charter, which enhances the spirit of cooperation and understanding between private schools in the emirate.