9 September 2015

The “1st Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy Physical Education Teachers Forum” takes place in the capital as the school year kicks off

 

Physical Education (P.E.) teachers from across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi will gather on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 at a Forum organised by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA) to address the challenges and opportunities that arise from teaching PE in the UAE.

 

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood; and the continuous follow up of H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA), and Chairwoman of the Abu Dhabi Ladies Club, the FBMA is holding, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the first Physical Education Teachers Forum in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“In line with the Academy’s important mission to make sports more accessible to all Emirati women, the Forum provides a platform for a productive exchange between Physical Education teachers and the relevant authorities concerned with sports development in the UAE”, said Ms. Amal Al Afifi, Board Member of the FBMA and Secretary-General of the Khalifa Awards for Education. "In doing so, we are leveraging on the great potential of education as a driver for development, and the valuable support of the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in this attempt is but a testament to the strong commitment of our leadership to the cause of developing women sports in the UAE", Ms. Al Afifi added.

 

The event will evolve around four thematic areas that are identified as core pillars in delivering physical education: Sports & Health, Sport Sociology, Sports Pedagogy and Sports Psychology.Each theme will be introduced with a presentation by an internationally renowned professor and followed by an interactive, open discussion session. As such, the Forum will discuss current P.E. standards and curriculum, and aims to educate teachers on certain areas of importance for youth and athletes’ development, drawing from international experience.

 

 

“This year’s Forum is a pilot attempt to establish an open dialogue with P.E. teachers from across the country. The Forum is envisaged to be held on an annual basis. The importance of this lies in that, P.E. teachers facilitate direct access to students and their parents and can, thus, be active agents of change towards a healthier lifestyle for all Emiratis", stated Ms. Raysa Al Ketbi, Operations Manager at the FBMA.  She continued by saying "The Forum also marks the activation of the newly developed Education and Research Department of the Academy, which will engage in thorough research to identify best practices and ways to develop a positive mentality towards sports among Emirati women and girls".

 

The Forum, which will take place at 8:00-14:00 on 15 September at Yas Marina Circuit, will be open to the participation of both female and male P.E. teachers from mixed and girls-only Government and private schools across Abu Dhabi. Participation will be free and interested participants can register by Sunday, 13 September on the FBMA website (www.fbma.ae/education).