Abu Dhabi: Imparting knowledge through educators is the recipe for building a sophisticated and civilised society, says Obaid Al Zaabi, who is contesting for a seat in the Federal National Coucil (FNC)
However, he said certain measures need to be taken to ensure that these instructors do not feel underprivileged. “And turning this into reality is one of my aims once elected as an FNC member,” said Al Zaabi, who is the former UAE Ambassador to Kuwait.
Speaking to Gulf News on his campaign trail ahead of FNC elections on October 3, Al Zaabi said that one of his primary duties if elected this year is to look after teachers and grant them the recognition they deserve. The election campaign which started on September 8 runs until September 30.
“UAE has some of the best schools in the world and features highly qualified teachers; however, we frequently hear issues about them quitting their jobs to take up something else.”
“This is usually due to them not always getting the adequate salary they demand. Recognition is crucial to helping one remain productive, particularly financial rewards, which is an element that I plan to look after if I am fortunate enough to win people’s votes,” Al Zaabi explained.
Enhancing schools’ curricula as well and the way students are being taught in schools are also some of the goals Al Zaabi aims to fulfil.
The UAE is a country that continues to advance rapidly and the students, who are the future leaders of tomorrow, need to be taught in a way that aligns with the country’s progress.
“Also, educators need to make sure that students develop a constant appetite for thinking outside the box, as opposed to only memorising their school material.
“They also need to always be asked to conduct research on some of the most prevalent topics, even in their journey’s infancy, to inspire a passion for expanding their boundaries of knowledge and a thirst for learning,” he said.
Therefore, establishing research centres across schools and universities is key to bringing this vision to life, Al Zaabi added.
He also told Gulf News that he seeks to look after the elderly and women.
“I want to make sure that laws are being adjusted to benefit the elderly and retired citizens. I also need to ensure that these laws will be to their benefit.”
While the UAE has already made significant strides towards granting women their basic rights and establishing gender equality, Al Zaabi aims to do more.
“Women constitute half of our society. We need to make sure that their skills are always being utilised and also help train them to become eligible to work in all the fields, as opposed to limiting them to certain sectors,” he said.
The UAE’s security should never be undermined and implementing all that it takes to turn away any potential threats of political turmoil in the country are other objectives Al Zaabi aspires to.
“It is a national duty for everyone to extend their support to the UAE’s armed forces and fully back them up. Political stability is the one component that any country in the world strives to achieve and I believe that the UAE is a great example when it comes to that.”
While Al Zaabi has a wealth of initiatives to offer, he is still very aware of the fact that promises should be both realistic and achievable.
When asked about his political campaigns, Al Zaabi said that we now live in a world where the ever-evolving social media continues to take over any other means of communication.
“Reaching the public through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is something that we will definitely focus on. Everyone now relies on their smartphones for anything and we figured that connecting with people via social media is both efficient and accessible.”
Al Zaabi said that the UAE public is one that is highly educated and urges voters to set aside any biases or personal connections and determine who deserves to win with an objective mind.
Al Zaabi holds a PhD in Political Science and a masters in International Relations.
Maisoon Mubarak is a trainee at Gulf News
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/fnc-candidate-aims-to-appreciate...
