Abu dhabi: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has mandated that the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) cease collecting fees from Sudanese students attending the Sudan Private School. He also instructed the refund of any nominal fees previously charged to parents.
According to Emirates News Agency, His Highness established the school to support the Sudanese community in Sharjah who could not afford to enroll their children in other schools within the emirate. His intent was for the school to function entirely free of charge, and he maintains a direct, continuous involvement in its operations.
In a phone-in on the "Direct Line" programme hosted by Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, His Highness explained the school's founding purpose. He highlighted, "We set up Sudan Private School because we found some Sudanese parents didn't have the means to enrol their children in schools, so we opened a private school for them and took on the running of the teachers and everything to do with the school without charging parents anything. It appears that the Sharjah Private Education Authority put some fees in place and called them 'nominal', but a nominal fee is a lot for someone in need, so we've instructed the Authority not to take any fees at all, large or small, from these pupils."
In response to a message from a parent of Sudanese pupils, His Highness emphasized the school's mission of providing free education as a gesture of honor to the Sudanese community in Sharjah. Parents were previously asked for high tuition fees and were not issued certificates unless all dues were cleared, contrary to the school's intended purpose.
His Highness also provided guidance to Sharjah government employees aspiring for higher education. He announced the commencement of the "Tumouh" (Aspiration) programme, enrolling 60 male and female staff for a postgraduate diploma, leading to a master's degree at the University of Exeter in the UK. His Highness urged postgraduate students to focus and engage fully with their studies, emphasizing the importance of building a strong educational foundation.
On a different note, His Highness shared insights into the natural world, particularly on crows' intelligence and their impact on the environment. He recounted how crows are often misunderstood, describing them as highly intelligent but occasionally harmful to other creatures. His observations included personal anecdotes about the behavior of crows and their interactions with other birds.
In closing, His Highness called for good character and the importance of rising above personal grudges, citing classical Arabic poetry to reinforce the values of dignity, generosity, and forgiveness.