Within weeks after the Indian Embassy officials called on the UAE government to intervene as thousands of children are awaiting admission in schools, the country has announced measures to address the shortage of seats in Abu Dhabi.
The solutions include the opening of a new school as early as next week, creating more seats in an existing school, permitting a kindergarten to operate from a villa for one more year and opening more non-profit schools.
In the long term, there are plans to provide land to investors willing to set up "non-profit sharing" schools, which will provide a small return on investment that must be spent on developing the schools.
"We are committed to ensuring that every child of school going age has access to affordable and high quality education," Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Director General of
Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) said Sunday at a round table discussion with the business community to encourage building non-profit schools.
Speaking on the occasion, an Indian businessman, Dr B R Shetty, chairman of Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS) and managing director and CEO of NMC Group in Abu Dhabi, said he will open a non-profit school next week in the Western Region.
Only five Indian schools in Abu Dhabi are in
purpose-built school facilities, while 12 others are in villas that, according to ADEC, pose serious health and safety risks for children.
Dr Mugheer al Khaili, director general of ADEC, said, "We have an immediate plan to deal with the forecasted capacity shortage and are making preparations to create world-class academic environments for each student in Abu Dhabi for the
long term."
ADEC regulates schools in the capital and has been under pressure to resolve an incessant lack of spaces at Indian-curriculum schools that may affect thousands of pupils as their April 11 opening date draws closer.