MoE prints 8.6 million books for first semester

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that it has completed the printing of 8.6 million books for the first semester of the current academic year 2020/2021 as part of environmental standards that contribute to the overall national efforts to reduce the UAE’s carbon footprint, using 100 per cent eco-friendly paper.

The MoE printed and electronically made available as many as 925 titles including 516 printed titles and 409 electronically made available titles. This came as part of the MoE’s efforts to create an integrated educational environment that enables students to benefit from the electronic books available through the MoE’s platform, not to mention the provision of paper books to meet the educational needs of students.

H.E. Eng. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, underscored the MoE’s keenness on implementing all health protocols approved to maintain the safety of all members of the educational community. To this effect, the MoE took into account all health requirements when taking the necessary preparations for the start of the first semester of the academic year 2020/2021, putting public safety on top of its priorities while ensuring the highest levels of commitment during the various details of the school day.

Al Hammadi stated that the MoE approved printing books by using 100 per cent eco-friendly paper from the second semester of the last academic year with the aim of reducing the negative environmental impact associated with the use of regular paper and hence pushing forward the UAE’s  efforts to conserve the environment through the use of advanced technologies in all the fields where they can be employed.

In line with its keenness on maintaining the safety of students by taking into account the highest health standards, the MoE put in place several steps to deliver books to students, Al Hammadi said. Based on this, books are disinfected in the printing press before being put in an envelope that is disinfected in advance, he added, noting that books are also disinfected after being put in the envelope and are handed over to the schools, which in turn deliver them to regular students. For students who study remotely, the school administrations would communicate with their parents to hand them the books, he said.