Reading champions honouredat 'Sultan's Wisdom' ceremony

Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) honoured the winners of “Sultan’s Wisdom: Empowering Minds” initiative, launched at the beginning of the second semester of the current academic year.

The initiative, launched under the slogan “Science and Knowledge: Reason for Progress and the Foundation of Development,” saw the participation of 45 private schools in the emirate, including students in grades 9, 10, and 11 across all curricula.

The initiative is based on selecting a book written by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and offering it to school students for reading and review.

The initiative aims to instil a culture of creativity and excellence in students and strengthen their connection to narrative, history, thought, and dialogue, which Sheikh Sultan focuses on in his writings.

It also aims to develop free reading skills within the school community and foster a spirit of competition among private school students within the targeted age group. SPEA developed a comprehensive operational plan for the initiative, encompassing several integrated phases.

It began with the launch and promotion phase within schools and across social media platforms, coinciding with the start of the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.

The initiative saw widespread participation, with 847 students participating in the internal school qualifiers.

The Authority was responsible for designing the competition questions and supervising the implementation of all phases, from announcing the conditions and participation mechanisms, to organising the preliminary competitions within schools, and finally culminating in the final qualifiers, which were conducted in the form of electronic tests.

This aimed to enhance students’ understanding of Sheikh Sultan’s thought and encourage them to read, think critically, and conduct scientific research.

Following these qualifiers, 90 students qualified for the final stage, which was held in May 2025 at the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA).

The selection criteria included evaluating reading skills, comprehension, understanding, analysis, synthesis, and expressing opinions, with a focus on the positive values and attitudes the student acquired during their cognitive journey with the book, and the lessons learned from the thought of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.

The initiative’s timeline reflected careful planning and implementation, as well as effective coordination between the various stakeholders, ensuring the smooth running of the initiative and achieving maximum interaction and benefit for all participants.

WAM