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UAE schools refusing students over lack of seats? Minister responds

Abu Dhabi - Old schools have been renovated to meet the standards

The Minister of Education has denied claims that the ministry had refused to take on new students in some government schools because of lack of seats.
"No request from any Emirati student applying for a new place in government schools had been rejected because of lack of seats," Hussein Ebrahim Al Hammadi told the Federal National Council (FNC) on Tuesday, as he answered questions from FNC members.
At the meeting, Hamad Al Rahoomi, an FNC member from Dubai, said there were complaints from citizens, saying that there are not enough government schools particularly in densely populated areas of the country. There were also claims that some schools were not keeping up with the population growth.
Responding to the issue, the minister said an integrated plan was rolled out to build new schools across the country, in coordination with local education authorities. The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme would also allocate lands for the establishment of schools near residential neighbourhoods.
"Over the past four years, new schools and educational complexes have been built in Sharjah and other emirates. Old schools have also been renovated to meet the standards," Al Hammadi explained.
The education ministry will also implement a comprehensive plan for each emirate. Population growth will be evaluated for proper planning, and then new schools will be built according to the number of students in residential areas.
Al Hammadi also noted that the increase in the number of expatriates in Dubai had prompted the establishment of more private schools in the emirate.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com