Dubai: Pupils in public schools who deliberately rip, burn and destroy their academic materials at the end of the academic year will not receive their certificates starting from the next academic year.
The ministry of education is alarmed by the amount of materials discarded at the end of each academic year by the reckless behaviour of some pupils, which extensively costs the ministry to get rid of the waste and also produce new material.
Minister of Education Dr Hanif Hassan ordered a circular to be sent to all public schools in the country to educate their pupils on the consequences of such behaviour and that pupils will only receive their certificates provided they return their academic books to the school undamaged.
Many pupils deliberately destroy their books to celebrate the end of their academic year.
Free of charge
About 744 public schools with 274,750 pupils will be affected by next year's decision to return all academic books to the Ministry of Education.
Before this decision, pupils are given all their books free of charge by the beginning of each academic year without having to return the books. However, this will change as a large amount of books are discarded every year. From next academic year, pupils will have to return their books.
"From our records during the past two years many pupils indulge in such a behaviour, which is contrary to our traditions and values in the country. It is not civilised behaviour," he said.
"Pupils should learn the value of money and take the responsibility of taking care of their books," said Dr Hassan.
The ministry of education took into consideration the way developed countries preserve their academic materials from being ruined citing examples from the US as they collect the books from the pupils and fine them if they are harmed.
In Canada, they refund the pupils when they return the books and in UK they tend to recycle.
The minister also highlighted the important role of the school and teachers in educating their pupils as this issue is a critical matter which is now part of the strategic plan of the ministry of education, said Dr Hassan.