When education, a basic building block of society, continues to be accorded the importance it deserves, it signposts the energetic progress of a country, opined a local daily.

"The UAE is well ahead in this regard and aiding this vision in the most encompassing way is the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education’s scholarships initiative for Arab youths. The foundation, a non-profit entity, will cover the university costs of 15,000 Arab youths from underprivileged backgrounds, thereby enabling them to get the same opportunities at nation-building as their peers," said the Gulf News in its editorial.

The newspaper said that this approach epitomises the transformative power of education in its most sought-after form, "As a privilege meant for all rather than only those who can afford it."

It continued, "When education is endowed with the ability to penetrate every crevice of society, the result is a profuse growth of creative roots and shoots. And what enables this creative process to fructify is the development of higher education the catalytic agent that allows youths to channel their ambitions into positive actions that benefit society and their country."

The English-language daily added that it is also a fact is that there are youths in every society, who, despite holding the highest promise of brilliance, are not able to move ahead in life due to a lack of financial resources. "If this segment struggles for educational opportunities, it can potentially skew the pace of progress. In providing scholarships worth AED4.2 billion to students, the foundation is meeting one of their most pressing needs," it said.

"What is more commendable about this initiative is that not only will the bright and deserving candidates gain access to prestigious universities in the UAE and abroad, but will also benefit from the emphasis on their post-university career opportunities an organic outcome whose value to society is incalculable," the editorial concluded.

Source :WAM