Dubai: In his book Letters, the second part of Life Taught Me, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, addresses a message to teachers. The book contains 26 letters that encapsulate six decades of public service and serve as a knowledge and intellectual reference for current and future generations.
A Message to Teachers
A message to the builders of generations and the architects of minds…
A message to those to whom we owe the dignified life we live…
A message to those who created engineers, doctors and leaders…
A message to those who instilled values, spread knowledge and illuminated nations with the light of learning.
A message to those from whom we learned, in our early years, how to think, how to decide and how to live, and whose influence has remained with us throughout our lives.
Life has taught me that civilisations are built on great ideas, and every great idea is built upon a great teacher.
My fellow teachers, your impact is immense. We see and feel it every day in outstanding young leaders, in cadres who lead our nation with exceptional skill, and in employees, officials, merchants, doctors and engineers who possess strong values and high morals.
Some time ago, I attended a session on artificial intelligence, during which one enthusiastic young person said: “Do we need all these teachers? Any student today can ask an intelligent machine about physics, history, programming or literature and receive an answer within seconds that may be better than the answer of many teachers.”
If a machine becomes capable of explaining, what need is there for a teacher?
Indeed, today’s technologies have evolved to the point where every student can have a teacher powered by artificial intelligence, teaching in a way that suits them, explaining concepts in a style they enjoy, and progressing according to their abilities, skills and aspirations.
He finished speaking, and I disagreed with him.
I disagree with these ideas because education is not merely about building the mind; it is about building the character that uses that mind. It is about shaping ways of thinking and decision-making, and building the moral, social and national framework that guides a person.
Yes, machines have become more powerful. And the more powerful and faster machines become, the greater human capabilities and strength become. But the greater the power, the greater the need for a mentor who instils values, cultivates wisdom and develops essential life skills such as communication, cooperation, empathy and understanding others, the qualities that make us human.
The teacher’s role in our lives is indispensable. Their role will evolve from being a transmitter of knowledge to a guide to knowledge, helping students distinguish truth from falsehood, and the important from the unimportant. The question is no longer: where do we find knowledge? Rather, it is: how do we use it?
The question is no longer where we learn, but how we can create new value for humanity through what we learn. This is the role of the teacher today.
The teacher’s role will not be to provide answers, but to help students ask the right questions, because an outstanding student is not the one who knows the most, but the one who questions the most, imagines the most and uses knowledge most effectively to engage with reality.
The teacher’s role will not be to memorise and transmit facts, but to train minds to think and to ignite passion, curiosity and imagination in students.
In the past, the teacher’s role was to prepare students for life. Today, their role is to instil in them the belief that learning is life.
Teachers cannot fulfil this role without becoming lifelong learners themselves. A successful teacher does not compete with technology, but uses it as a personal assistant in carrying out their role and mission. Teachers must continue to develop their capabilities, skills and use of new technologies.
The machine will not replace the teacher, but the teacher who knows how to use the machine will replace the teacher who does not.
The changes around us compel us to change the way we teach in our schools because if we teach our children today as we taught their parents yesterday, we are robbing them of tomorrow.
My fellow teachers, your most important role will always be building humanity.
A person who is loyal to their country, engaged with their community, aware of its needs, capable of expressing ideas and opinions, and able to use technology to achieve ambitions.
A person who possesses a moral compass that guides them through life.
Life has taught me that nations build armies to protect their borders, but they build schools to protect the future. Armies protect territory, but education is what makes history.
You are the makers of history and the builders of the future.
May God grant you success and guide your steps on the path of knowledge.
Your brother,
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
