Day: May 9, 2024

Amman: Soaring temperatures are anticipated across Jordan on Thursday, as meteorologists project a significant rise in the mercury. Warm conditions are expected over high mountainous regions and relatively hot weather in other areas. Particularly, hot conditions are forecast at the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and Aqaba, with occasional clouds at higher altitudes. Moderate southeast winds are expected, picking up and stirring dust in desert locales.

On Friday, the Kingdom is poised to experience a dry air mass known as Khamsini, leading to further temperature increases. It is anticipated that temperatures will exceed seasonal averages by approximately 6-7 degrees Celsius. Dusty conditions are expected to prevail, with relatively hot temperatures forecast for mountainous regions and plains. Cloud cover is forecast at higher altitudes, and winds are expected to shift from moderate southeast to southwest, occasionally picking up in intensity.

A noticeable drop in temperatures is expected on Saturday, accompani
ed by dusty yet warm conditions in most areas. However, relatively hot weather will persist in desert regions, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and Aqaba. Cloud cover is expected at medium and high altitudes, with winds shifting to a moderate to brisk northwest direction.

Sunday will bring further relief from the heat, with temperatures dropping once again. The weather is expected to be mild over mountainous areas and warm in other regions. Clouds may appear at lower altitudes, with moderate northwest winds occasionally stirring up dust, especially in desert areas.

Today, temperatures in East Amman are forecast to range between 32 and 19 degrees Celsius, while in West Amman, they are expected to hover between 30 and 17 degrees Celsius. The Northern Highlands will see temperatures ranging from 28 to 16 degrees Celsius, and the Sharah Highlands from 29 to 14 degrees Celsius. At the Dead Sea, temperatures are expected to range between 38 and 24 degrees Celsius, and at the Gulf of Aqaba, between 39 and 25 degre
es Celsius.

Source: Jordan News Agency

NAIROBI: The Union Association for Human Rights (UAHR) is participating in the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, which kicked off today at the UN headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Conference offers civil society organisations an opportunity to put a global perspective on a specific issue and brings together senior UN System officials, prominent international civil society organisations, youth change-makers, academia, public opinion makers, and international media to discuss issues of global concern.

Mariam Al-Ahmadi, UAHR Vice President, is leading the Association’s delegation and team of human rights experts, representing civil society in the UAE.

The international conference is attended by more than 3,700 participants, representing various international bodies and mechanisms, and more than 400 international non-governmental organisations working in various humanitarian and development fields. In addition to representatives from a number of companies, institutions, and initiatives concerned w
ith promoting human development programmes in the world, harnessing modern technologies to serve humanity and address current and future challenges.

The UN Civil Society Conference is the premier event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations, ahead of the Summit of the Future, set for this coming September.

Organised by the UN Department of Global Communications, the Civil Society Conference will run for two days over May 9 and 10 here.

Opening the event, Maher Nasser, Director of the UN communication department’s Outreach Division, said that more than 3,600 civil society representatives from 2,750 entities had registered for the Conference, along with around 400 representatives of 64 governments, seven inter-governmental organisations (IGOs), 37 UN entities and over 100 media reporters.

In addition, 70 percent of those registered were from Africa and 40 percent of all registrations were youth, in the age group 18 to 34. Climate was the top issue for youth registrants.

Dennis Francis, Preside
nt of the UN General Assembly, speaking via video message, said: ‘For the Summit to serve as a catalyst for impactful global action, we need robust collaboration and buy-in from those directly affected to drive its action-oriented outcomes.’

Referring to the documents that are expected to emerge from the Summit – the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations – the Assembly President said, ‘we need you, civil society, to play a critical role in this process.’

Source: Emirates News Agency

Hebron – Ma’an – The occupation forces arrested two citizens from the city of Halhul at dawn today, after raiding their homes.

Local sources reported that confrontations broke out between the youths and the occupation forces, during which the soldiers fired sound bombs, without causing any casualties.

The sources added that Yasser Zamaara, who was released from the occupation prisons about two weeks ago, was arrested after being administratively detained for 6 months. Dean Muhammad Al-Qashqish was also arrested.

Source: Maan News Agency

ABU DHABI: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council, chaired the regular meeting of the Council, which was held virtually recently.

The meeting focused on assessing the progress of relevant institutions and entities in advancing educational quality and student achievement, with the goal of aligning education with national needs and solidifying the country’s position as a leader in academic excellence.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the need to redouble efforts to significantly improve student academic achievement and enhance the effectiveness of teaching staff. He also stressed the importance of promoting transparency and clarity in providing a comprehensive picture of student learning outcomes.

Sheikh Abdullah underscored the importance of fostering robust Arabic language skills, which not only strengthens national identity but also provides a solid base for mastering foundational subjects like mathematics and English, es
sential tools for future professional success.

“Our strategic directions for the education sector aim to enhance the future of the country and its competitiveness in various fields by creating an honest and empowered generation with advanced knowledge and skills. Therefore, we emphasise the importance of the role of educational institutions, school leaders, and teaching cadres in applying the highest standards of transparency to convey an accurate picture that clarifies to parents the levels of academic achievement of their sons and daughters and to follow up on their progress in line with our aspirations and to meet our ambitions and support our national economy,” Sheikh Abdullah said.

H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF), Vice Chairperson of the Education and Human Resources Council, underscored the critical need for a collaboratively developed shared vision for the education sector, achieved through coordination with releva
nt entities, to address the most prominent challenges in the sector.

‘Elevating our schools and propelling student achievement requires a shared commitment. By working together to identify essential priorities and strengthening collaboration between all educational institutions, parents, students, teachers, and leaders, we can ensure everyone contributes to achieving foundational goals and driving cohesive progress that strengthens every aspect of our educational system,’ H.H. Sheikha Mariam said.

Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, the Minister of Education, reviewed a proposal to introduce an Arabic language assessment for first-grade students in public and private schools, which is planned to be implemented starting from the academic year 2024-2025.

This national assessment will include a comprehensive measurement of the Arabic language skills acquired by all Arabic-speaking students upon enrollment in the first grade of primary school. The aim is to obtain data on the extent to which they p
ossess the basic skills and abilities to learn the language. The assessment results will be used to serve decision-makers, schools, teachers, parents, and the assessment will be conducted during the first eight weeks of students’ enrollment in the first grade.

During the meeting, Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE), presented an analysis and study of the results of the second semester exams for the Academic Year 2023-2024 for students in public schools, highlighting the main lessons learned, and the interventions made by the ESE to continue raising the level of academic achievement of students.

She explained that the ESE continuously studies the results of students throughout the three semesters to identify their actual levels and develop support plans for them to improve their academic achievement in accordance with best practices.

The minister also shed light on a number of vi
olations by employees and students during the exam period in schools that were detected by the ESE’s team, which amounted to 247 violations, including leaking exam answers, in addition to the number of cheating cases during the exams, which amounted to 802.

Driven by the ESE’s commitment to fostering transparency within the educational community, this effort tackles challenges like cheating. The call to action is for everyone to collaborate and uphold the anti-cheating regulations. This ensures students’ interests are protected and receive the support they deserve. By accurately identifying their academic progress, away from any misleading tactics, such initiatives can empower students on their educational journey.

Al Amiri also presented a matrix of extracurricular activities implemented in public schools, which benefit more than 150,000 students, explaining the impact of these activities on improving students’ knowledge acquisition and building their skills, as the ESE continuously measures the impact of
these activities on students.

Highlighting the significance of extracurricular activities, the minister underscored the critical role of extracurricular programmes in fostering student development. These programs serve a dual purpose by complementing students’ academic pursuits and facilitating the cultivation of a well-rounded skillset. Furthermore, the structured environment provided by these programmes allows for the methodical development of essential skills. The minister emphasised the ESE’s unwavering commitment to continually refining and aligning its activity offerings to ensure their optimal integration with established educational objectives.

In this context, Al Amiri presented during the meeting updates on some of the ESE’s projects, including an educational project that will be launched in the coming period to optimally utilise students’ leisure time, discover their creative skills, and develop their talents in a thoughtful manner, and then guide and nurture them within integrated growth paths u
sing the latest technologies. This will be done by converting a number of public schools into multi-activity centres that attract students outside of school hours.

The meeting was also attended by Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development; Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education; Jassem Mohammed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance; Hajer AlThehli, Secretary General of the Education and Human Resources Council; Aisha Miran, the Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai; and Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, the Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Ramallah Ma’an – Today, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced the results of the recruitment test for educational, support and professional positions for the academic year 2024/2025.

The Ministry explained that applicants can find out the result through the Ministry’s website via the following link: https://www.moe.edu.ps/emp/2024.

Source: Maan News Agency