Dubai: A Pakistani school for poor children has been ordered to close because its management failed to upgrade the building and also cannot pay the increased rent.
"A massive rent hike and high standards set by the education authorities have led to the closure of our school, putting the future of 600 poor students at stake," said Rana Ramazan, principal of Allama Iqbal Islamia Pakistani School, located in Al Quoz, Dubai.
He said the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) served a notice to close on the school.
"KHDA also served us a notice in March this year to upgrade the school or face closure, but we could not do it because of a lack of funds," said Ramzan, who established the school about 20 years ago with just 30 students.
"I know the school building needs improvement but we cannot afford to do it because our rent has also been increased from Dh55,000 to Dh250,000," he told Gulf News in his office.
Free education
He said some 240 out of the total 600 students get free education at his school.
"We even provide most of them with books and uniforms, and pay for the transportation of some students," he said.
The average fee per month is about Dh150, which comes to as little as Dh5 per day.
The school follows the curriculum of the Federal Board of Secondary School Education in Islamabad.
"I want to save the school for the sake of hundreds of poor students who will not be able to continue their education because they cannot afford to pay," he said.
He asked members of the community to come forward and help him save the school.
"We can still provide education to poor students if we can afford to upgrade the building and pay the rent," he said.
"We cannot even move to a bigger building because of high rents," he said.
The school was allotted a piece of land by the Dubai government a few years ago to build a new school, but the allotment was cancelled because they could not construct buildings here because of a lack of funds.
"A number of people offered me money to build a school on the land but I refused, because they wanted to raise the fees to run it as a profitable business," he said.
The late Benazir Bhutto also visited the school at least five times during her eight-year stay in Dubai before returning to Pakistan.
"Bhutto always encouraged the students and promised to build a new school for them before she went back," said Ramazan.
Bhutto appreciated the efforts of the school to provide affordable education.
She wrote in the school's visitor book: "This school is a testimony to the determination and drive that can help each person fulfil their dreams while helping humanity. May Allah bless your noble efforts."
By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter