Six More 'Villa Schools' Close In Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi's education regulator, ADEC, announced last night that six 'villa schools' will close next month.
The upcoming closures are expected to put some additional strain on the remaining Indian curriculum schools in the Emirate, Gulf News reported.
The schools, all located in non-purpose built facilities have been mandated to close by ADEC, due to health and safety concerns.
This, the latest and final round of 'villa school' closures by the capital, will see six of the remaining 14 close in March, while the last eight will shut their doors over the summer. Adec has been systematically closing the schools since 2008, when 72 existed in the UAE.
With six of the final 14 schools, using the Indian curriculum, many parents have voiced their concerns about finding school new places in the Emirate.
An Adec report cited by the Gulf News said that parents had been informed of the imminent closures since 2010.
“In the particular case of Leens Private School and Kindergarten, Adec sent an official letter to parents about the closure decision on March 27, 2014. The safety of pupils is of paramount importance to Adec, and it is a priority to make sure that they receive education in safe and healthy environments with appropriate facilities."
The report noted that Adec had issued “temporary approvals” to several schools in the Emirate to increase class sizes, however, it emphasised that any capacity increase needed to remain within the limits of safety. It went on to urge investors to develop more Indian curriculum schools for the Emirate.
