Breeding Reading : Look mama, I can read!

The UAE Ministry of Education has recognised the achievements of children and schools participating in the ‘Kids Read’ programme at a ceremony in Dubai.

‘Kids Read’ — a collaborative effort by HSBC Bank Middle East and the British Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Education — promotes reading amongst government primary schoolchildren. The award-winning programme has already reached over 5,500 children, teachers and parents across the emirates this year.

There are currently 13 UAE schools taking part in ‘Kids Read’, each working hard to encourage a love of reading through a variety of activities, including competitions for both students and teachers, throughout the academic year.

The ceremony celebrated the ongoing success of the ‘Kids Read’ programme, recognising some of its biggest success stories. 10-year-old Salim Thani of Al Rasheed School in Ajman saw off competition from over 600 children to win the opportunity to name the ‘Kids Read’ mascot, a bookworm he called Readosaurus.

Teachers from Al Rasheed, along with colleagues from Al Arqam School, Sharjah, and Zahret Al Madden School, Fujairah, came out on top in a competition to create a wall display to share their favourite ‘Kids Read’ books. The English department at Zahret Al Madden reported that it became “like a competition between the teachers and the students! They want to read more and we want to read more. As a result, the students became more motivated.”

Shaikha Khulood Sager Al Qassimi, Director of the Ministry of Education Curriculum Department; Sabrin Rahman, Corporate Sustainability Manager, HSBC; and Gordon Slaven, British Council Country Director, were on hand to present the winners with their prizes.

To date, the ‘Kids Read’ programme has already reached 25,000 children and aims to double this number in 2013 to reach 50,000. In the UAE, ‘Kids Read’ is working closely with the Ministry of Education and 13 government schools across Dubai and the Northern Emirates.