DUBAI — Warnings from health experts that the UAE could have one of the highest obesity rates in the world have made the education authorities sit up and take notice.
Preeti Kannan
This is compounded by the fact that adolescents are extremely vulnerable to obesity and which was reflected in a recent research that revealed at least 10 per cent of all 15-year-olds in public schools in the UAE were obese.
Hence, Ministry of Education (MoE) and the education councils have been tackling the issue by modifying curricula in public schools and making sports activities mandatory.
Introduction of compulsory physical education classes and new games in schools have showed some results as officials reported a ‘significant increase’ in numbers of students, particularly girls, taking part in sports activities. Strides in the right direction, officials said, were a fall-out of several conscious initiatives the schools had enforced.
At the beginning of the academic year, the ministry also issued directives to schools asking them to check the authenticity of the medical certificates produced by students in order to get exemption from Physical Education (PE) classes.
“We have seen a significant increase in the number of girls taking part in physical education classes. We want everyone to participate in sports,” said Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, Director of Student Activities in the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Youth Department of Sport and Health Programmes.
Authorities have been making efforts to urge children and parents to adopt healthy lifestyles. “We have modified the curriculum to educate children about what food they should eat and encourage them to take to activities even after school. We are also inviting parents on Open Days to take part in sports with their children,” said Rahman.
Besides these initiatives, the ministry has plans to step up its scrutiny of school canteens. As a pilot project, four Madares Al Ghad schools across the country have been given strict canteen guidelines to follow. These are expected to be rolled out in all public schools by the next semester.
The Right To Play (RTP) initiative by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, launched in Dubai in October 2007, has been working towards holistic child development. The athlete-driven international humanitarian organisation uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children. The initiative, first of its kind in the region, is being applied to all Dubai public schools and close to 25,000 students are expected to benefit from it.
Last week, 20 Grade IV students from Al Qeyam Alnamothajiya School visited Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates as part of the second phase of the project. They will have one period of skiing activity per week for eight weeks.
The Knowledge and Health Development Authority, which has partnered with Right To Play, also observed an increase in girls engaging in sports.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Schools Agency, Fatma Al Marri, said, “We strongly believe in the importance of sport as it serves as a means for the students to acquire many skills. It not only enhances their health but also keeps them productively occupied during their free time. Owing to the variety of activities and methods of teaching, we have noted an increase in the number of students participating effectively in the physical education class, especially girls.”