Blind Student and 13-Year-Old Equestrian Among 68 Ras Al Khaimah Educational Excellence Award Winners

From a Grade 11 student who returned to school after a three-year break to a 13-year-old equestrian following in the footsteps of her award-winning mother, this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Educational Excellence Awards honoured achievements extending beyond the classroom.

The 20th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Excellence Awards named 68 winners across 26 categories. They were selected from 293 applications submitted by students, teachers and educational institutions from public and private schools across the emirate.

🟣 Expanding the Meaning of Excellence Over 20 Years

The award’s criteria have expanded over the past two decades to encompass talent, innovation, research, sustainability and quality of life, alongside academic and professional performance, reflecting the wider transformation of the education sector.

Sumaya Al Shehhi, director of the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Excellence Awards, said: “We have broadened the concept of excellence to include key areas such as quality of life, innovation, research and sustainability.”

Applicants undergo a multi-stage assessment process that includes portfolio reviews, interviews and site visits. Evaluators also examine whether candidates have demonstrated consistent progress over time, assessing their achievements over a period of about three years.

Blind Student Returns to School After Three Years

Among this year’s honourees was Shifna Paruthippara Sidiq, a Grade 11 student at Ideal English School in Ras Al Khaimah. She was recognised in the Outstanding Student with Disability category under the Excellence in Performance track.

Shifna is blind, but her teacher, Akhila Santosh, said her determination and perseverance have enabled her to participate alongside her classmates in a range of activities and competitions, including poetry recitation, storytelling, public speaking and singing.

“When she joined the school, she was the only blind student there. We treated her just like every other student,” Santosh said.

Returning to Education After a Three-Year Break

Shifna’s journey to Grade 11 was not easy.

She studied at a special school in India until Grade 4, but her education was interrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to her teacher, Shifna missed Grades 5, 6 and 7 before later enrolling directly in Grade 8 in the UAE.

The transition meant not only returning to education after a lengthy break, but also adapting to a mainstream classroom.

“She faced challenges at first and worked extremely hard. Gradually, whenever a programme or activity was held, she began taking part in all of them,” her teacher said.

Shifna has since completed Grade 10 under the CBSE curriculum and has now entered Grade 11. Her teacher said she scored above 60 per cent across various subjects, exceeding 70 per cent in some.

🟣 Exceptional Talent in Poetry, Music and Public Speaking

Outside the classroom, Shifna is also known at school for her ability to memorise and perform songs and poems.

According to her teacher, she regularly takes part in poetry recitation, storytelling, solo performance, public speaking and singing competitions.

“She is exceptionally talented in areas such as poetry recitation, solo performance, storytelling and public speaking,” Santosh said.

Shifna’s musical ability spans several languages. She sings in Malayalam, English and Arabic and, according to her teacher, can learn unfamiliar songs remarkably quickly.

“If you give her a song, she will memorise it and sing it within an hour or two,” Santosh said.

Shifna’s achievements began before she moved to the UAE. According to her teacher, she won several awards in the Indian state of Kerala, including state-level honours, and has since competed in various contests across the UAE.

For Shifna’s teacher, her recognition at the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Excellence Awards is particularly significant because of the obstacles she overcame to return to the classroom.

“She has a great deal of confidence. Whatever you tell her, she memorises it very quickly. If you tell her, ‘You can do it,’ she will try. She can do anything,” Santosh said.

🟣 An Award Linking Mother and Son

Another of this year’s winners turned the award’s 20-year history into a family story.

Hanaa Saeed Hassan Ahmed Al Maqdahi, an education professional in Ras Al Khaimah, was honoured in the Outstanding Teacher category in 2020. Six years later, her son Ahmed was named among the outstanding students of the 2026 edition.

“I am extremely proud,” Al Maqdahi said, adding that the moment brought back memories of receiving the award herself.

Al Maqdahi, who was promoted this year to head of academic affairs at Zayed Educational Complex in Al Kharan, said her son’s success was the result of years of encouragement to enter competitions and develop his abilities.

“Ahmed has been taking part in competitions since childhood,” she said.

She recalled a trip to Kuwait specifically for Ahmed to compete, saying such experiences were part of the family’s efforts to build his character and encourage his competitive spirit.

“Nothing is impossible. People can achieve what they want, but they must begin with a plan. If you plan properly, you can reach your goal,” Al Maqdahi said.

🟣 From Horse Riding in Kindergarten to Award-Winning Success

At just 13, Ahmed has turned his childhood passion for horse riding into a string of sporting achievements, earning recognition in the Outstanding Student in Sports category.

The Grade 9 student began horse riding in kindergarten at around the age of five. Ahmed received his first horse when he was nine, and his family later built stables on his grandfather’s farm so he could train regularly.

His equestrian achievements include fifth- and sixth-place finishes in dressage competitions across the UAE. He has also participated in community and national events and is active in swimming.

Ahmed’s achievements are not limited to sport. He also won first place in a mental arithmetic competition in Kuwait.

Receiving the award held added significance for Ahmed because his mother had been among the winners of the same programme six years earlier.

🟣 20 Years of Recognising Different Paths to Success

The stories of Shifna and Ahmed reflect the broader definition of excellence that the award has championed over its 20 editions. It extends beyond academic results to recognise sustained achievement, individual talent and the different paths students and teachers take towards success.

“Today, we celebrate the 20th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Award for Educational Excellence,” Sumaya Al Shehhi said. “We are not only celebrating the winners of a new edition, but also honouring a journey that has continued for more than 20 years.”