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Four villa schools to be closed in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has announced the closure of four villa schools accommodating a total of 3, 980 students at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year.

Al Dhafra Private School (American / British curriculum), Al Manara Private School (Ministry of Education curriculum), Al Ta’awan Private School Branch (‘British’ curriculum) and Al Talae’e Private School (Ministry of Education curriculum) will cease all operations from their current Abu Dhabi island residential locations in June/July 2012.

These closures will leave 37 private villa schools operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi from inappropriate residential locations compared to 72 schools in 2009. Of the remaining 37 schools, 32 have committed to ADEC to build replacement schools and are currently engaged in gaining the necessary approvals from ADEC and other government entities for their new schools.

Al Dhafra Private School has constructed a new building in East 9, Mohammad bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi and will relocate its operations there for the start of the 2012 – 2103 academic year. All students currently registered within Al Dhafra Private School have been offered a place in the new school on a priority basis until 28th June 2012 after which seats will not be held and parents are therefore recommended not to delay. Tuition fees for existing students will not increase by more than 20 per cent.

ADEC has granted Al Manara Private School permission to operate from the former Al Qemma and Omair bin Yousif government school buildings in West 3, Baniyas, Abu Dhabi from the start of the 2012-2013 academic year. All existing students of Al Manara Private School have been offered places on a priority basis in the new buildings until 28th June 2012 after which seats will not be held and parents are therefore recommended not to delay. Tuition fees for existing students will not increase by more than 20 per cent.

The owners of Al Ta’awan Private School Branch have taken the decision to close their school and align themselves with ADEC’s strategy to ensure that all school students in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi attend purpose built schools located on appropriately zoned school land. The management of Al Ta’awan Private School Branch (British Curriculum) have made arrangements with another private school to accept all of the students currently attending Sherwood on a priority basis. Combined tuition and book fees for existing students will not increase by more than 20 per cent.

ADEC has taken the decision to close Al Talae’e Private School as a result of the school’s failure to fulfill legally binding commitments it made to ADEC regarding building a new school to replace the existing villa school. All students currently attending Al Talae’e Private School are offered priority placement within Al Manara Private School and a new school called Yas Academy which will open from the former Al Kindy government school buildings allocated by ADEC located in East 18, Abu Dhabi island. Parents have priority registration until 28th June 2012 after which seats will not be held and parents are therefore advised not to delay. Tuition fees for existing students will not increase by more than 20 per cent.

Engineer Hamad Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of ADEC’s Private Schools and Quality Assurance Sector commented that “ADEC has made excellent progress in working with owners of villa schools to align their schools with the government’s strategy. It is very pleasing to see Al Dhafra Private School moving to new buildings it has constructed and ADEC looks forward to seeing many other villa schools follow suit”.

Al Dhaheri confirmed that ADEC will deal with villa schools not fulfilling their commitments made to ADEC as he stated “each villa school that has promised to construct a new building must work hard to meet all of ADEC’s licensing requirements without any delay and complete construction as quickly as possible once all necessary approvals are obtained”.