School’s out ... of classroom space

bu Dhabi Education Council’s decision to close villa schools was a necessary measure to ensure the quality and safety of the emirate’s educational institutions. Only 35 of the 72 villa schools operating when the decision was made in 2008 remain open. Of those, 15 are expected to close by July and the remaining 20 will do so next year. The downside of ensuring schools are sited in safe, purpose-built facilities suitable for children is a shortage of classrooms, putting some children’s education on hold. While more schools are being built, with six new Indian schools expected to be ready to accommodate 15,000 pupils by the end of 2015, some are behind schedule.

As The National reported yesterday, the opening of Abu Dhabi Indian School’s new campus has been delayed, possibly until the start of May. Another Indian-curriculum school, the Shining Star International, has not yet begun classes, several weeks after the start of the Indian school year. According to the operator, Sanjive Khanna, the delay is because Adec has not provided premises for the new school .

In both cases, the delays will disadvantage students, who will have to make up for the curriculum they are missing now through extra weeks added to the end of the academic year.

This is an unacceptable situation, for which responsibility ought to be shared by school operators and Adec. Schools based in villas have been given years to find premises that are suitable, while Adec has a responsibility to plan ahead to ensure sufficient capacity.

For Adec, this is not as simple as for most countries, where a surge in births would alert authorities to the need to have sufficient primary school places several years hence. In Abu Dhabi, where most students’ parents are expatriates whose presence depends on the whims of the global economy, this kind of advance warning is rarely available.

Even when 3,500 students enrol at the Abu Dhabi Indian School, there will still be pupils in search of a school to attend, causing understandable concern to parents. To avoid this kind of problem, there is a need for innovative solutions, such as requiring corporations and departments hiring staff with school-age children to ensure they can find a place for them at an approved school. What is clear is that the current situation cannot be allowed to continue.

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