Assistant Undersecretary for Special Education Affairs Omar Abdul Aziz Al Naama (left) and Director of Private Schools and Kindergartens Dr. Rania Mohammed honouring a winner during the ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), in collaboration with Cambridge Schools, honoured the winners of the first edition of the ‘Read, Rise and Recite’ competition, which witnessed a remarkable expansion with the participation of 1,021 students from 182 private schools and kindergartens.
The competition focuses on memorizing the Holy Quran according to specific rules by a committee composed of imams and sheikhs, with the participation of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and a group of specialised teachers from Cambridge schools.
Addressing the event, Assistant Undersecretary for Special Education Affairs Omar Abdul Aziz Al Naama said: “We celebrate a pleasant occasion for all of us, which is the conclusion of the first competition for memorizing the Holy Quran in private schools and kindergartens “Read, Rise and Recite.”
The Department of Private Schools and Kindergartens launched the competition in cooperation with Cambridge Schools in Qatar. It aims to encourage our sons and daughters in private schools and kindergartens to memorize the Holy Quran. He thanked all the participants in this competition because of its significant impact on the hearts of our students and the beginning of a prosperous future. He also thanked the organizers of the competition.
Director of Private Schools and Kindergartens Dr. Rania Mohammed reviewed the history of the competition, which began in Cambridge Schools. Cambridge has been one of the pioneers in organizing it over the past four years. She pointed out that Cambridge schools launched programs to root identity and consolidate Islamic values. The “Read, Rise and Rehearse” competition was one of the fruits of these valuable programs.
Sheikh Ahmed Fathi Othman, from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Jury, confirmed that after the competition was announced, all entries were accepted, and the 12-day judging phase began. During the judging stage, all applicants were tested by competent committees according to specific international standards, including mastery of memorization, intonation, and good voice. He added that the top five were tested live in front of the public for the first time via a live broadcast.
During the ceremony, a documentary video explaining the development of the competition’s history was shown, and another video highlighting the teaching of the Holy Quran and Sunnah in several private schools, such as Indian Islamic Schools, Cambridge Schools, and Taallom Group Schools. The five students who won first place in the branches of the competition also recited verses from the Holy Quran in front of the audience, which received significant interaction from their side.
