DUBAI — The Ministry of Education yesterday ordered the closure of 13 Sharjah-based private schools operating from villas. The licences of these schools will be cancelled, said a senior ministry official.
This decision follows a notification issued seven years ago by the Cabinet ordering private schools operating from villas to adhere to the safety standards.
The affected schools are Al Fayhaa Private School, Al Rigah Private School, Al Jeel Al Jadeed Private School, Al Thaqafa Private School, Al Esraa Private School, Al Taqwa Private School, Sharjah International Private School, Ruwad Private School, Doha Private School, Montessori Private School, Delta Private School, Al Amal English Private High School and Russian School.
The several extensions and grace periods granted to these schools have all expired, said the education authorities. Recently, Dubai's educational body, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, had ordered the closure of 13 villa schools.
Warnings ignored
Fawziya Hassan Ghareeb, Director of the Sharjah Education Zone, said all these schools are ordered to shut down following reports that they have failed to take the issue seriously enough and have no intention to move to new and proper premises as they have repetitively promised.
Twelve of the 25 schools operating from villas in Sharjah were shut down last year because they had failed to relocate. The remaining 13 schools ordered to shut down now have also failed to take necessary action despite several warnings by the Ministry of Education, Sharjah Municipality, Civil Defence and Labour Department, Fawziya said. The Sharjah Education Zone announced the names of the schools to avoid complaints from parents and to give them time to find admission for their children in other schools, Fawziya added.
By Mohsen Rashid (Our staff reporter)