Brussels:An European newspaper has highlighted the United Arab Emirates' commitment to teaching peace and tolerance through its education system. The UAE dedicates an entire school subject, Moral Education, to cultivating principles such as tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.

According to Emirates News Agency, the EU Reporter, a Brussels-based digital news and media website, published an article noting that the UAE's approach includes embedding tolerance deliberately within its national curriculum. Emirati textbooks treat coexistence as a foundational civic and religious value, rather than merely an incidental educational outcome.

The UAE's education system demonstrates how civic and religious education can work together to promote a culture of coexistence. A Grade 6 Moral Education textbook emphasizes the country's inclusive nature, teaching students that "we are a country where all of humanity lives, despite the differences that Allah created them with, with real love and real tolerance." These values are not limited to Moral Education but are also reinforced in Islamic Education textbooks.

Furthermore, interreligious tolerance in the UAE curriculum is presented as a religious imperative deeply embedded within Islamic tradition. It portrays pluralism of belief as a strength and teaches students that respect for religious and cultural difference is a moral default. This educational framework is introduced at formative stages of development to shape moral instincts before prejudice can take root.

The article also mentioned a foreword by Dr. Karima Matar al-Mazroui, advisor to the Chancellor at Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, stating that tolerance is essential for the survival of plural societies. This lesson holds relevance for Europe, where diverse societies are prompting renewed debate on strengthening social cohesion.

As the world observes the UN-designated International Day for Tolerance on November 16, the paper notes the occasion as an opportunity to examine how education fosters peaceful, cohesive, and thriving societies, and what Europe might learn from the UAE's curriculum. The paper emphasizes that education is a powerful tool for preventing intolerance, with values embedded in textbooks shaping the future behavior and values of society.