HH the Heir Apparent honors outstanding students, teachers and schools

The Supreme Education Council (SEC) today announced the winners of the Education Excellence Day (EED) awards at an event held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha. There were sixteen students, one school and a teacher honored at the annual event held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Heir Apparent and Chairperson of the SEC. HE Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Minister of Education and Secretary General of the SEC, ministers, sheikhs and several high level dignitaries from the government attended the awards ceremony.
View EED website

The EED aims to honor high achievement in education and helps promote the culture of excellence. It illustrates the commitment of Qatar’s leadership to education and its recognition that developing a knowledge-based society is fundamental to the nation achieving its ambitious goals.

In his opening speech, HE Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, reiterated the importance of the awards ceremony.

"The Excellence Awards presented by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reflect Qatar's support for excellence and scientific research," said HE Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud. "Awarding excellence in education in the different categories helps encourage and motivate individuals and institutions to strive for excellence in areas that best serve the development needs of the country."

“This recognition has increased my self-esteem because it’s a national award where all students in Qatar compete,” said Saleha Al Zaraa, who received a platinum medal from HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Heir Apparent and Chairperson of the SEC. “This has increased my confidence in my capabilities and will encourage me to take on new ventures with confidence. I thought excellence was restricted to within the school boundaries but after winning the award, I now know that excellence should be in all aspects of life.”

The EED honored high school graduates, university graduates, a school, a teacher and new Ph.D. holders. The high school and university graduates received either platinum or gold awards, while the Ph.D. holders, school and teacher all received platinum awards. High school students were all enrolled in either the independent, international or former Ministry of Education schools, and university graduates attended schools both in Qatar and abroad. [A list of all the honorees is attached.]

“There is no doubt that this award plays an important role in spreading the culture of innovation and excellence in Qatari society, and will help motivate students, teachers, administrators, university students and doctoral students to strive for excellence,” said HE Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Minister of Education and Secretary General of the SEC in his opening remarks during the event. “This is what we hope to achieve with the Education Excellence Award in a variety of categories.”

“It is a great honor to receive this prestigious award,” says Maryam Ahmed, a high school graduate from Al Bayan Educational Complex for Girls. “This is only the beginning of the road for me as it has created new challenges for me and opened a new window where I can aspire to achieve more and help develop my country.”

The EED award was launched with the aim of deepening the understanding of excellence and encourage individuals and educational institutions to promote their performance; encourage creativity among students, researchers and educational institutions; encourage competition for educational excellence among individuals and institutions and; direct individual and institutional energies toward achieving excellence in areas that best serve the development needs of the country.

“I was thrilled to receive my PhD and totally overwhelmed with pride when I received the EED award,” said Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi. “Since childhood, I have taken pride in my country for honoring high achievers in education and as a psychologist, I look at this award as a motivation to achieve more success.”

Lolwa Al Kaabi, the only teacher to receive an award this year said, “This is a historic day in my life as I represent excelling teachers in Qatar. I dedicate the award to my husband who stood by me, to my children who inspired me to succeed, to my family and fellow teachers and to my students and the school principal who supported me. My message to all those who wish to win the award is to trust in God and strive to achieve the standards and update their information via visiting the EED website and document their work properly. I encourage all teachers to apply for this award”