ABU DHABI // Nine new public schools will open in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia by September, when the school year's first term begins, according to education officials. In addition, two schools are planned to open in Al Gharbia by the second term, scheduled to begin in January 2011.
Besides building the new schools and kindergartens, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) will merge 20 existing schools into 10 and renovate and rehabilitate various facilities. The programme is part of Adec's 10-year strategic plan to develop the infrastructure of the educational system , said Adec's executive director of school operations, Mohammed Salem al Dhaheri. Merging the schools will "achieve optimum utilisation of school facilities," he said, as well as "minimise the burden of students' daily transportation, positively impacting daily traffic."
Hamad al Dhaheri, manager of infrastructure and facilities at Adec, said combining the schools was designed to improve security and safety for students. Merging schools will also address the inconvenience of managing small institutions, which Adec classifies as those with fewer than 180 pupils. "According to the strategic plan developed by Adec, the total number of students in a school shall be approximately 1,000 students, as per the designs of the new schools, provided that the capacity for each class does not exceed 30 students," said Mr al Dhaheri.
Teachers will be assigned to the schools that were merged with their previous schools based on available positions and need. In addition, Adec has said in a statement that teachers will be assigned to schools close to their homes, a moved designed to reduce the distance they would need to travel to work. Administrative staff will also be reassigned, but will not be informed of their new posts until September.
Parents, however, have already been told by Adec where their children will be attending school. One new school is slated to open in the capital's Shamkha district; a boys-only facility, it will host 330 pupils in grades one through nine. In addition, a new kindergarten for 200 boys and girls will open in Abu Dhabi's Khalifa City A and will serve pupils living in Khalifa cities A and B, Officers' City and Bein al Jisrein.
In Al Ain, four new 300-pupil kindergartens will open, serving both boys and girls. The schools will be located in Al Toyea, Al-Sarooj, Al Shuaiba and Al Qou'. In Al Gharbia, three new schools will open by September, and another two by January. hkhalaf@thenational.ae
