An institution shows the way

(My article in The Gulf Today- posted for my records)
SHARJAH: The Abdullah Omran Taryam Model School for Boys in Sharjah, formerly known as Suhaib Primary School, dedicated the entire past week to highlighting the prodigious contributions made to the nation by the late Dr Abdullah Omran Taryam.
The Ministry of Education, under the directives of Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, recently renamed the school after Dr Abdullah Omran Taryam.

  “From Sunday to Monday, we usually hold various activity sessions for children. This week it was all about Dr Abdullah,” informed Mariam Al Holy, headmistress of the school.

“As people already know about the great personality, the task of explaining to parents and children about the name change became very easy. When we informed the parents, they were happy and reacted by saying ‘nice name’,” the headmistress noted.

Enthusiasm was palpable the moment one entered the sprawling school compound, which has 300 plus students on its rolls with many more expected to join the ranks next year.

Posters, bulletin boards and handcrafted charts mentioned Dr Abdullah Taryam’s contributions to the society.

“Our primary aim now is to set up an exclusive project room explaining all about Dr Abdullah Taryam,” Mariam Al Holy said. “This week, principals from other schools visited us. During the meeting, I presented all of them special mugs with a picture of Dr Abdullah and also a note on his achievements.”
A staff member added, “We were informed about the new name on Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, we (staffers) made special preparations for change in the display of the school board and also to welcome the dignitaries.”
One of the impressive charts displayed at the school entrance lucidly explains the life of the great personality after whom the school has been named. Among the various points, it highlights that Dr Abdullah was one of the main figures of the UAE before and after its establishment.
Born in Sharjah in 1948, Dr Abdullah finished his primary, secondary and high school education in Sharjah and Kuwait. He attained his Bachelor’s degree in History from Cairo University and his Ph.D in Modern History from the University of Exeter in the UK in 1986.
He established the Al Khaleej newspaper with his brother, the late Taryam Omran, in 1970, which has since grown to become the Dar Al Khaleej media group. Dr Abdullah worked as a secondary school teacher at Al Orouba School and then became a Director of the Department of Education in Sharjah. He also held the posts of Minister for Education and Minister for Justice.
It may be recalled that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, mentioned that Dr Abdullah had contributed to the UAE Union alongside the founding fathers.

Humaid Bin Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, Minister for Education, also remarked that naming of two schools in Sharjah after the brothers Taryam Omran and Dr Abdullah Omran was to ensure that the memory of the loyal citizens would remain entrenched in the memory of the nation for people to learn and adopt the values and principles they represented.