Adec to open five new schools

ABU DHABI - Five new schools will open at the beginning of the second trimester, which is due to start on January 8, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) announced on Monday.

By (Wam)

Published: Wed 4 Jan 2012, 12:10 AM

Last updated: Fri 3 Apr 2015, 12:57 AM

The new schools are located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Khatem, Al Towayya and Al Khazna.

The first two Cycle one (C1) mixed-gender schools embodying the third model of future schools is due to open at the beginning of the academic year 2012-13 by the ADEC. One school is located in Khalifa City “A” and the other in Mohammed bin Zayed City.

Four new schools will start operations next week, namely: Mubarak bin Mohammed School (C1) with 45 classrooms accommodating 1,200 students, Al Khatem Girls School (KG, C1, C2 and C3) with 28 classrooms accommodating 600 students, Al Jahili Girls School (C3) in Al Ain with 50 classrooms accommodating 1,500 students and Al Towayya Girls School (C3) with 40 classrooms accommodating 1,200 students.

The ADEC will inaugurate Al Mabade School in the Al Khazna area in Al Ain during the next few weeks.

Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Director-General of ADEC, said that the new school designs and construction concepts adopted by the ADEC are aimed at keeping pace with the development plans in the emirate at all levels, to include ADEC’s 10-year Strategic plan 2009-2018.

“New schools offer attractive, safe and flexible learning environments enabling the introduction of modern pedagogical and teaching techniques that help improve student academic outcomes and teachers’ performance,” he added.

The ADEC intends to promote a student-centered learning approach across schools focusing on individual students or small groups rather than bigger groups, the Director-General pointed out.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of School Operations at the ADEC, said that new purpose-built schools are equipped with latest technologies that support teaching and learning, provide world-class education and meet community needs.

The new designs serve future schools which will be different from the existing ones, according to Hamad Al Dhaheri, Division Manager of Infrastructure and Facilities at the ADEC.

New schools have wider classroom areas, internal and external sport facilities, indoor swimming pools, modern laboratories, cafeterias, music and arts rooms and an auditorium.

“Two approved school design models have been implemented. The first model is used in constructing all schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. It features a school building divided into two sections of classrooms and laboratories for boys and girls separated by administration offices, auditorium, cafeteria and external areas which are used as break venue and outdoor learning areas.”

“In the second model, implemented in C3 schools as well as common C2 and C3 schools in Al Ain, a school building is divided into a classroom, a laboratory and an ICT room, which is connected to another section accommodating administrative offices, an auditorium, sports facilities and a cafeteria,” he added. Some facilities in the new schools, such as sport facilities, swimming pools, auditoriums and libraries, can be accessed by the community after the school day, added Al Dhaheri.

Khaled Al Ansari, ADEC’s Facilities Management Division Manager, said that the new schools consist of small learning communities that allow more effective interaction between students and teachers.

Construction of 100 new schools is scheduled during the next 10 years to meet the increasing needs across the emirate.

Following last year’s project launching, 15 schools were inaugurated. At the beginning of the current school year five KGs and 21 schools were opened.