Dear DAA Parents,
On Sunday, 2 November, DAA will renew the practice of
playing the UAE National Anthem each morning. While this is now a legal
requirement for all schools in the UAE, DAA welcomes the custom as an
opportunity to show our respect for the UAE’s independence and sovereignty.
Such a tradition is common in most countries of the
world, certainly in the United States. This tradition is not a
pledge of allegiance or something similar. Rather, it is an opportunity for
those of us who are guests in the UAE (most of DAA’s community!) to show
respect for our host nation.
In the Primary and Elementary Schools, the anthem will be
played over the public address system system at 7:45 AM each morning. It will
be preceded by a brief announcement, after which the anthem will be played,
which takes about 60 seconds. Students who are already in class will be asked
to stand and listen respectfully, as is required by UAE law. Students, parents,
teachers, and guests who are in DAA’s hallways are asked to stop, stand, and
wait in silence once they hear the public address announcement and anthem
begin.
Kind Regards,
Jim Hardin
Superintendent
