DUBAI — Dubai’s educational authority plans to send an inspection team to Raffles International School (RIS) on Wednesday to investigate claims made by parents that the school lacks the adequate number of teachers, enough teaching materials, a clean swimming pool and, in some cases, textbooks.
“We have written to RIS seeking its response. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) will send an inspection team to investigate the situation at the school,” said Taha Al Hamri, Head of the Administrative Services Unit at the authority, which monitors public and private education in the emirate.
He said the planned inspection follows an official complaint from a parent of a student on Tuesday, claiming the school had not delivered on its promises.
Parents of some students of the premium school in Umm Suqeim say they may shift their children to other schools if the management fails to resolve issues, raised by over a 100 parents at a meeting in the school on Monday.
“The school does not have enough teachers or support staff and the teachers do not have adequate teaching resources. Besides, some of our children do not have books. The facilities are grossly inadequate despite the exorbitant tuition fees paid by us,” said a parent, who did not want to be named.
“The children do not have lockers. The bags are kept outside the classrooms,” complained another parent, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a written statement to Khaleej Times, Emaar Education, which owns and manages RIS, said, “The school has contracted teachers internationally. While most of them have joined us, a few others will take charge shortly.”
The statement said the school has received most of the equipment and study materials. “The operational aspects pointed out by parents and teachers regarding toilets, lockers and the swimming pool are also being addressed.”
Parents say RIS has sent a note to them calling for a meeting on Thursday.
preeti@khaleejtimes.com