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Abu Dhabi Education Council confirmed that the deadline to close all villa schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and relocate them in appropriate purpose-built school facilities will end by 2013. This comes in line with ADEC strategy to improve the private education sector and ensure the availability of a safe & healthy learning environment for all students in private schools.
Mr. Yousif Al-Sheryani, ADEC’s Private Schools & Quality Assurance Executive Director said that ADEC is keen to continuously monitor all private schools and make sure they meet ADEC standards & criteria to provide our students with optimal educational services in an adequate learning environment.
Mr. Al-Sheryani added that since ADEC’s decision to close 10 villa schools last year, to include immediate closure of 6 schools with most severe health and safety risks & violations, many schools have been proactive and invested heavily in improving the quality of education provision. A number of these schools have also worked closely with education consultants to ensure a successful transition and to improve the quality of education in their schools.
“During the past few months, ADEC has initiated a tendering process to relocate a number of villa schools in vacant public school facilities as well as the closure of a number of such schools, which resulted in reducing the number of schools operating from residential buildings from 71 to 50 schools only. ADEC has been actively supporting these schools that have shown initiative, providing high-level guidance and information on how they can improve their quality of education provision, and also advising all of them to engage with education consultants to ensure a smooth transition into their new facilities”, added Al Sheryani.
“ADEC will continue to offer and lend its support to those schools that take initiative in providing high quality education to their students. We encourage villa school operators to work cooperatively with ADEC and to engage in the official licensing process to acquire approval to operate in appropriate school facilities,” Al Sheryani pointed out.
From his side, Mr. Aweidha Al Qubaisi, Executive Director of Services at Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM), said that collaboration between ADM and ADEC is essential for ensuring safety and security of all school students in order to provide them with safe and healthy learning environment.
“Community safety in general and children & P-12 students in particular, are on top of ADM’s priorities. The villa school closure plan must continue and all schools must relocate from their current residential buildings and operate from purpose-built school facilities”, added Al Qubaisi.
Due to lack of evacuation procedures in case of emergency or fire, villa schools provide unsuitable learning environment with many infringements of safety and security regulations, Al Qubaisi. “As a result, the lives of our students are endangered, particularly young children who are incapable of dealing with emergencies”, he pointed out.
Al Qubaisi reaffirmed that Abu Dhabi Government is committed to ensuring that all students in the emirate receive high quality education through an optimal learning environment that is healthy and safe.
“All private education institutions must ensure their buildings meet the safety standards for the best of students and community. A number of parents complain that some schools fail to meet these standards; thus, we encourage all parents to report any violation they may notice at schools,” Al Qubaisi concluded.
Last year, ADEC has announced its decision to close 10 villa schools operating from residential buildings based upon a number of ministerial decrees as well as federal laws, bylaws, regulations and circulars, which had been issued by the UAE cabinet, MoE and ADEZ over the past ten years. (those include: federal law no.(28) of 1999 regarding private education, MoE Circular no. 103/1 of 2000 addressed to educational zones concerning non renewal of villa school licenses by the end of school year 2000/2001; executive bylaws of federal law no. 28 of 1999, regarding private education issued on 2001; cabinet decree no. 270/2 of 2002 to grant a 2-year deadline to close villa schools operating from residential buildings; MoE decree no. 1841 of 2004 forming “Private school facilities committee” to be responsible for inspecting schools operating from residential buildings, ADEZ Circular no. 518 of 2004 instructing private school owners to cooperate with “Private school facilities committee” and provide it with all the required information and documents; cabinet decree no. 375/23 of 2004 related to villa schools (granting them a 3-year deadline to end by 2006/2007 school year) based on MoE report issued on 2004 to be executed within 3 years & MoE Undersecretary letter no. MK 2/562 of 2006 that specified 20 schools and addressed to ADEZ Director to stop renewing licensees, stop registering students and closure of villa school by the end of 2006/2007; MoE Undersecretary letter no. MK 153/7 of 2007 addressed to ADEZ Director suggesting the temporary integration of villa schools in proper school buildings until the private school completes the building of appropriate facilities; 2 MoE resolutions of 2007 on the closure of 2 schools operating from residential building; MoE Assistant Undersecretary Letter no. MK 297/2007 addressed to ADEZ Director reminding of Cabinet of ministers Resolution no. 375/23 of 2004; Moe Assistant Undersecretary letter no. MK 2/562 of 2006 and then the approval to grant school villas a 2- year deadline provided that sorting out solutions for each school including the allocation of 2 public school buildings within terms set by MoE).
From the remaining 21 villa schools that are no longer operating: six of those with the most severe health and safety risks & violations were closed early 2010; three were already vacant and had their licenses officially cancelled; one closed by itself and opted not to relocate; and two were re-categorized as non-villa schools upon further assessment and inspection.
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