News Dubai

Nine villa schools in Sharjah face closure
By Mohsen Rashid

SHARJAH — Nine of the 24 schools operating out of villas in Sharjah have been ordered to be closed following a ministerial decision.

The Minister of Education, Dr Hanif Hassan yesterday issued a decision to this effect. The nine schools were found unfit for the teaching process to continue.

Some 3,000 students were enrolled in these nine schools. The decision will come into effect by the end of the current academic year.

The director of the Sharjah Education Zone (SEZ), Fawzeyia Hassan, said that the rest of the schools operating out of villas would be shifted to new school buildings by the end of the current academic year. She said the education zone would be sending a circular to the said schools so as to notify the parents and teachers in advance.

“We hope to accommodate the affected 3,000 students in the other schools in Sharjah,” said Khalid Al Muala, deputy director of the SEZ for Private Education Affairs.

The following nine schools will be closed: The Modern Arab Private school, Al Naseriah Private School, Islamabad Model School, Al Khaledia Private School, The Modern Egyptian Private School, the New Filipino Private School, New Hope English Private School, The New Horizons Indian Private school, and the Spring Dale Indian Private School. The last three schools, which follow the Indian syllabus, will be closed by March 2008.