From a Grade 11 student who resumed her education after a three-year gap to a 13-year-old equestrian following in his award-winning mother’s footsteps, this year’s RAK Awards for Educational Excellence recognised achievements that extend beyond the classroom.
Now in its 20th edition, the Ras Al Khaimah Award for Educational Excellence honoured 68 winners across 26 categories, selected from 293 applications submitted by students, educators and institutions from government and private schools across the emirate.
The award has expanded its criteria over two decades to recognise areas including academic and professional performance, talent, innovation, research, sustainability and quality of life as the education sector continues to evolve.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“We have broadened the concept of excellence to include important areas such as quality of life, innovation, research and sustainability,” said Sumayya Al Shehhi, Manager of the Ras Al Khaimah Award for Educational Excellence.
Applications go through several stages of assessment, including reviews, interviews and field visits. Evaluators also examine whether applicants have demonstrated sustained progress, with achievements assessed over a period of around three years.
Among this year’s winners was Shifna Paruthippara Sidhic, a Grade 11 student at Ideal English School in Ras Al Khaimah, who was recognised in the Distinguished Student of Determination category under Excellence in Performance.
Shifna is blind, but her teacher, Akhila Santhosh, said her determination has seen her participate alongside classmates in activities and competitions ranging from poem recitations and storytelling to speeches and singing.
“When she came to the school, she was the only blind student in the school,” Santhosh said. “We treated her like every other student.”
Returning to school after three-year gap
Shifna’s journey to Grade 11 was not straightforward.
She studied at a special school in India until Grade 4 before her education was interrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to her teacher, she did not complete Grades 5, 6 and 7 before later joining Grade 8 in the UAE.
The transition meant adjusting not only to returning to education after a lengthy gap but also to studying in a mainstream classroom.
“She struggled at first, and she worked hard,” Santhosh said. “Slowly, whenever programmes and activities came, she started participating in all of them.”
Shifna has since completed Grade 10 under the CBSE curriculum and progressed to Grade 11. Her teacher said she achieved above 60 per cent in her subjects, with some results exceeding 70 per cent.
From poetry to multilingual singing
Outside the classroom, Shifna has developed a reputation at school for her ability to memorise and perform songs and poetry.
She regularly participates in poem recitations, storytelling, mono-acting, speeches and singing competitions, according to her teacher.
“She is very talented in her abilities, like poem recitation, mono-acting, storytelling and delivering speeches,” Santhosh said.
Her musical ability extends across languages. Shifna sings in Malayalam, English and Arabic, and her teacher said she can learn unfamiliar songs remarkably quickly.
“If you give one song to her, within one or two hours she will memorise it and sing it,” Santhosh said.
Her achievements began before she moved to the UAE. Santhosh said Shifna received several awards in Kerala, including state-level recognition, before going on to participate in competitions in the UAE.
For her teacher, Shifna’s recognition at the RAK Awards carries particular significance because of the obstacles she overcame to return to the classroom.
“She has great confidence,” Santhosh said. “Whatever you tell her, she memorises very quickly. If you tell her, ‘You can do it,’ she tries. She can do everything
Mother and son share award connection
Another winner brought the award’s 20-year history back into his family.
Ras Al Khaimah educator Hanaa Saeed Hassan Ahmed Al-Maqdahi was recognised in the Distinguished Teacher category in 2020. Six years later, her son Ahmed was among the students honoured at the 2026 edition.
“I am very proud,” Al-Maqdahi said, describing the moment as one that brought back memories of receiving her own award.
Al-Maqdahi, who was promoted this year to Head of Academic Affairs at Zayed Educational Complex in Al Kharan, said her son’s achievement followed years of encouraging him to participate in competitions and develop his abilities.
“Ahmed has been participating since he was little,” she said.
She recalled travelling with him to Kuwait specifically so he could participate in a competition, describing such experiences as part of the family’s effort to strengthen his personality and encourage him to compete.
“There is nothing impossible,” she said. “A person can achieve what they want, but they need to start with planning. If you plan properly, you can achieve your goal.”
From kindergarten rider to award winner
At just 13, Ahmed has turned a childhood passion for horse riding into a record of sporting achievement, earning recognition in the Distinguished Student in Sports category.
The Grade 9 student began riding when he was in kindergarten, at around five years old. By nine, Ahmed had his first horse, and his family later built a stable at his grandfather’s farm, allowing him to train regularly.
His equestrian achievements include placing fifth and sixth in dressage competitions at the UAE level, alongside his participation in community and national events. He also participates in swimming.
Ahmed’s achievements extend beyond sport. He competed in a mental arithmetic competition in Kuwait, where he secured first place.
For Ahmed, receiving the award carried an additional meaning because his mother had stood among the programme’s winners six years earlier.
The two stories reflect the broader definition of excellence the award has sought to develop over its 20 editions , recognising not only academic results, but sustained achievement, individual talent and the different paths students and educators take to excel.
“Today, we are celebrating the 20th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Award for Educational Excellence,” Al Shehhi said. “We are not only celebrating the winners of a new edition, but a journey that has extended over 20 years.”
Source: Khaleej Times
