Second school in Dubai set to close its doors to students

Exterior view of Emirates English Speaking School in Al Safa, Dubai.-Photo by Neeraj Murali/Khaleej Times

The Dubai schooling community has been left shocked by the announcement of a second school closure.
In the first quarter of 2019, the Emirates English Speaking School (EESS) - a 30-year veteran on the Dubai school circuit - will be closing its doors to the 1,550 students currently enrolled on its campus. The CBSE curriculum school is citing financial constraints as the reason behind the decision.
This latest announcement by the EESS means its last batch of graduating students will be rolling out in March 2019. All parents have been informed of the closure.
In a statement on Thursday, Mohammed Darwish, chief of regulations and permits commission at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said: "The KHDA has approved the school management's request to discontinue educational services at the Emirates English Speaking School from the next academic year. The school has already put in place a plan to ensure students affected by the closure can be accommodated in other schools and it will help parents and students with a smooth transition."
The news comes just weeks after the KHDA confirmed to Khaleej Times that the British Columbia Canadian School (BCCS) in Dubai Investment Park (DIP) - which opened only in 2017 - will be closing, too.
In a statement on July 10, Darwish said it was "aware that BCCS has sent a communication to parents informing them of the school's closure, though we have yet to receive the official request from the school".
Parents at EESS were formally informed about the closure of the school on June 28, Khaleel Shubair an administration manager at EESS told Khaleej Times.

The school will remain operational until March 2019 - the end of the current academic year.
With an annual fee average of Dh4,500 per student, Shubair cited financial constraints as the reason for the closure.
"The school fees at EESS have historically been extremely low and it has become difficult to provide high level of resources and attract quality staff, given the financial constraints."
Going forward, EESS management will be helping all currently enrolled students transition to nearby schools.

"We are in discussion with several CBSE curriculum schools in comparable fees range. Our students are spread over various localities over Dubai so we are in talks with several schools in the city."
Former student at EESS, Deepak Dinakaran, who attended the school in Grade 4 in 1996, said he was saddened to hear the news about its closure.
"It is really heartbreaking as I've always cherished memories from my time there. I know it will be a terrible loss for the upcoming generations too. These memories were as simple as eating a Max ice cream from the canteen to the bus ride along Jumeirah Beach, now La Mer," he told Khaleej Times.
Speaking highly of his time at EESS, he said other standout memories include the friendly teaching staff and being awarded a gold star for his report card.
"They really built my confidence up as a student and I believe that school made me who I am today."
Located in Al Safa, Dubai, the EESS is a private K-12 school and was founded in 1979.
In 2016/2017, the school received a 'weak' rating as part of the KHDA inspections, a drop from the 'acceptable' rating it held previously.
The EESS was contacted for comment and acknowledged the request, but did not respond with comments in time for print. The article will be updated online if a response is received.

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