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Abu Dhabi announces closure of four villa schools

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) has recently shut down four villa schools as part of a plan to relocate all students into purposely built school buildings.

The schools closed include Al Fajr English International School, Gulf Buds Private School, Salah Uddin Private School and the Philippine National School.

The closure order was issued at the beginning of 2013-2014, to allow parents enough time to enroll their children in another school.

The closure of villa schools is part an ongoing programme in line with Abu Dhabi Government’s plan to shut down all Abu Dhabi villa schools by summer 2015, and is an initiative managed by Adec to help encourage private schools to operate in purpose-built schools which are consistent with quality and safety standards on lands allocated for education purposes.

Hamad Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of Adec’s Private Schools and Quality Assurance Sector, said that providing Abu Dhabi students with equal opportunities to education and promoting a healthy and safe school environment is one of Adec’s priorities.

Adec is keen to offer students affordable high-quality education through providing them with a safe school environment that would improve student’s skills in line with the highest international standards.

Al Dhaheri confirmed the fact that students have been relocated into suitable school buildings. He added that Adec has sent letters, emails and SMS to parents of students via their schools regarding the closures in order to take necessary action and complete registration process for their children.

After the closures of the four villa schools, as little as 18 villa schools are left to close in comparison to the 72 villa schools that were operating in 2009. Of the schools left, six are currently working on building new purpose built school buildings after they have obtained all necessary approvals from several government bodies, four schools are working to obtain necessary approvals to start construction and eight are due to close by the end of the 2014-2015 academic school year.

Adec is keen to support those schools to relocate to proper school facilities in order to ensure the safety of all students and to help access facilities that will provide high quality comprehensive education.