Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » Education & Career

Sharjah Makes Arabic Medium of Instruction in Nurseries

Sharjah has asked the government nursery schools across the Emirate to adopt Arabic as medium of instruction

Tuesday November 26, 2024 5:08 PM, ummid.com News Network

Sharjah: Sharjah has asked the government nursery schools across the Emirate to adopt Arabic as medium of instruction.

The decision was taken at the 14th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Education Academy at its headquarters in the University City in Sharjah presided by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

“A wise decision”

Parents have hailed the decision calling it a “wise decision”.

"We need to prioritise Arabic from an early age because it is our mother tongue," R. Musabah, an Emirati mother, told Khaleej Times.

“Teaching English too early can weaken children's ability to learn and speak Arabic well. Not getting enough exposure to Arabic can lead to difficulties later on”, she added.

Musabah also reflected on the deep connection between language and culture, emphasising that strong Arabic skills would help children maintain their heritage and foster better family relationships.

"It's essential that we help the next generation grow up valuing their language and culture," she said.

Aisha Mohamed, a Palestinian expat and mother of two boys, shared her excitement about the new initiative as well.

"This is fantastic news for us! At home, my sons speak English most of the time because they only use English at school," she explained.

"By introducing Arabic in nurseries, we can ensure they become fluent in both languages. It's essential for their identity and understanding of our culture," she added.

New platform to boost Arabic education

Meanwhile, Zayed University has launched a new digital platform “ZAI Platform” to boost Arabic education and help non-Arabic speaking populace to easily learn the language.

The platform aims to transform the way Arabic is taught and learned, empowering educators and students with accessible tools.

“We have prepared Arabic vocabulary and phrases and provided the English translation and transliteration to make it easy for expats and non-native Arabic speakers to pronounce it in Arabic”, Dr Hanada Taha Thomure, Endowed Chair of Arabic Language at Zayed University told Khaleej Times.

“The list of phrases and vocabulary we have selected covers commonly used sentences and words in the Arab world and greatly helps in facilitating communication with Arabic speakers. (These include) … how to greet people in Arabic, order food in restaurants, buy groceries at a supermarket etc,” she added.

Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.

 

....

..