ABU DHABI // Eleven private schools opened in the emirate this academic year providing seats for about 20,000 pupils, while a further 10 schools are planned to open next academic year, according to Abu Dhabi Education Council.
Five of the 11 new schools that opened in September are former villa schools that were ordered to close and relocate to purpose-built buildings as part of Adec’s villa school closure programme. Launched in 2010, the programme forced schools from various curriculums that were operating out of residential villas or commercial buildings to move into education facilities in proper school zones that met the emirate’s school safety and building standards.
“Our priority was to put them in safe, purpose-built buildings that were up to our standards and met Adec’s health and safety strategy standards and regulations,” said Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Adec’s director general.
On Tuesday, Dr Al Qubaisi announced that all 72 villa schools had closed and all of their 46,000 pupils had been transferred to 29 new facilities built at a cost of Dh2 billion. Although private school investors bore the construction and operational costs of relocating the schools, Adec said it offered 29 plots of land for the former villa school owners to lease for the rock-bottom price of Dh1 per square metre. Villa school operators unable to build from scratch were offered vacant public school buildings as replacements and others closed altogether without relocating.
“We’re very proud to say today we don’t have any more villa schools,” said Dr Al Qubaisi. “It wasn’t easy to take that road, but it was for the benefit of our children. We went forward and every possible means of support was given to the investors so that they would continue investing in this field, providing services but within the best environment for our children ... balancing this with having feasible fees — it wasn’t an easy task. It’s a huge success story for Abu Dhabi education and we’re very proud of this accomplishment.”
Children from the villa schools have been offered capped tuition at their replacement schools so that they could only be charged up to 20 per cent more the first year at the new school and 10 per cent more each additional year, according to Adec.
Whereas villa schools were overpopulated, the new schools now meet all of Adec’s private school design and safety standards, said Adec business development manager Tareq Al Ameri.
For example, schools should have minimum facilities such as a science lab, music and art room, an ICT lab, sports hall, library and a health clinic with two full-time registered nurses, for co-ed schools.
“This is the minimum that schools should have on their premises,” said Mr Al Ameri.
Hamad Al Dhaheri, Adec’s executive director of private schools and quality assurance, said closing the villa schools and opening new, modern schools was something “to be proud of. If we, by any means, provide a chance for a student to get better education, we are all winners, it’s as simple as that”, said Mr Al Dhaheri.
Dr Al Qubaisi said there was already evidence to suggest villa school students were performing better academically in their new facilities.
New schools in Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Boys
Location Mainland Abu Dhabi
Curriculum American
Capacity 1,390
Amity International School
Location New Al Bahia
Capacity 1,100 (phase one)
Curriculum British
Global Indian International School
Location Baniyas East
Capacity 1,700
Curriculum Indian
Al Maharat Private School
Location Khalifa City B
Capacity 1,993
Curriculum Ministry of Education
Virginia International Private School
Location Khalifa City B
Capacity 1,100
Curriculum American
Ryan International School
Location Masdar City
Capacity 1,525 (phase one, phase two total 2,875)
Curriculum Indian
Abu Dhabi International Private School (villa school replacement)
Location Mohammed bin Zayed City
Capacity 2,200 (phase one, phase two 3,000 total)
Curriculum American
Elite Private School (villa school replacement)
Location Mohammed bin Zayed City
Capacity 1,900
Curriculum American
ABC Private School (villa school replacement)
Location Al Shamkha
Capacity 1,300 (phase one, phase two 2,500 total)
Curriculum British
Al Murooj Scientific Private School (villa school replacement)
Location Mohammed bin Zayed City
Capacity 1,115
Curriculum British
Modern Private School (villa school replacement)
Location Shakhbout City
Capacity 2,000
Curriculum Ministry of Education
rpennington@thenational.ae
