Sultan inaugurates new SPEA headquarters on Mleiha Road

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Saturday inaugurated the new headquarters of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) on Mleiha Road, Sharjah.

During the opening, Sheikh Sultan spoke to the attendees stressing that developing the educational system is a comprehensive process that needs a collaborative effort of all parties.

“This is a happy day to meet here in the new headquarters of SPEA, especially as it coincides with one of the most beautiful occasions, Teacher’s Day,” Sheikh Sultan said.

Sheikh Sultan lauded the efforts of the SPEA teams during the summer break and the first month of the school year to ensure the preparedness of the schools to receive the students.

He also stressed the importance of the dietary aspects in the education system including inspecting food outlets and canteens as well as spreading the awareness towards the importance of healthy food amongst the students.

Another aspect that was underlined by Sheikh Sultan was the issues facing the teachers such as early retirement.

“We see many students getting high grades which brings the applause to their school teachers, while it is mostly the efforts of the private tutors who helped those students shine,” he said.

In the same context, Sheikh Sultan suggested having private tutoring centres that hire retired teachers who prove their ability to teach and convey the information to the students in a manner that is helpful to the students.

He also stressed that private schools should not focus on the commercial side alone as they should help build the future generations in an attractive educational and fun environment.

During the opening ceremony, Sheikh Sultan also launched four educational electronic platforms that would help develop the private schooling system and support the educational community.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Dr Tariq Sultan Bin Khadem, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources; Dr Saeed Musabah Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Sharjah Education Council; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of Protocol and Hospitality Department; Dr Eng. Rashid Al Leem, Chairman of Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority; and a number of education specialists and dignitaries.

Recently, Sheikh Sultan issued administrative Law No. (19) of 2019 on the regulation list of private education in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The administrative decree stipulates that the regulation of private education in the Emirate of Sharjah shall be enforced.

The regulation aims to regulate the educational process, and training while raising the quality of education services in private educational institutions, and provide the appropriate environment for their practice, and the development of the educational system in the private sector, and the application of global best practices with a suitable environment.

The administrative fees and fines related to the practice of educational activities in the Emirate of Sharjah shall be issued by a decision of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Sharjah.

The provisions of this regulation shall apply to private educational institutions in the Emirate of Sharjah, including its free zones.

All private educational establishments engaged in educational activity services in the Emirate of Sharjah at the time of application of this resolution shall adjust their status in accordance with its provisions within 6 months from the date of issuance of this resolution.

The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) is responsible for developing public policies and strategic plans, and proposing the necessary legislation to regulate and develop private education in the Emirate of Sharjah and granting and approving licenses for enterprises.

The Arabic language is the official language of communication at the Commission.

Foreign institutions outside the country are excluded from this obligation so that they are allowed to communicate with the Authority in English only.

The SPEA reserves the right to request legal translation into Arabic for each document in English, and all expenses incurred are borne by the sending institution.