3.35 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Learners take annual leave to get driving licence

Kinana Homsi-Mardini with her son Khaled. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

For working residents, parents in particular, obtaining a driving license is not as easy as it sounds. Taking annual leave might prove to be the only option.

Kinana Homsi-Mardini is a working mother. A little before 8 am she drops off her son at the nursery, to get to the office a little after 8; her boss pardons her for the few minutes she is late, because she makes up for them at the end of the day.
 
All of this would be much easier if she had a driving license. For this, however, she needs to use her annual leave.  
 
Last month Kinana decided it was time for her to go after the necessary document. Since she had a driving license when she lived in Syria, her home country, she only needed 20 courses.
 
Being in her third week now, she realizes it is almost impossible for her to go through the whole process. “The school timings are dictating me!” she says, having little hope she will be able to drive any time soon.
 
Although lecture timings can differ from school to school, and even from branch to branch, the latest available lecture timing is usually around 4 in the afternoon, when working hours for most office people are still ongoing.
 
In addition, lectures are not provided in the same language every day. Opting for a certain language restricts you further.
 
“My only options for driving lectures are Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday is not a problem. But since I have to bring my child to school and make it to work on time, I have to take off Sundays,” says Kinana.
 
For a while, I attended driving classes before starting my day. I had to leave my house at 6.16 am, and because I would be a little late at work, stay in the office until 17.30 pm. This exhausted me, so I was willing to take my annual leave.”
 
Janti Karaf, a Syrian resident of Dubai is facing a similar situation. However, unlike Kinana, he has not yet dared to ask for days off. “I have been able to take 4 lectures in two months!
 
Wednesday is a lecture day for me, but on those days I cannot possibly leave my office. I work for a magazine, and that is the most crucial day of the week!
 
I am still in my probation period, and that is making it more complicated. I am not sure if I want to ask for my annual leave days in my probation period.”
Apart from the lectures, the assessments form another dilemma for the driving school students.
 
“Assessment tests can only be done at the time and date that the examiner is available, and there is no negotiating with my schedule,” explains Kinana.
 
“Whenever the appointment is set, I have to abide by it. This means more days of my annual leave are going into my driving license programme.
 
“My company has been considerate, but I wish there were other ways to do this. It is not right that I have to sacrifice my holidays for this purpose. At least there should be some kind of scheme taking into consideration people who work and have children. For this group of people, it is almost made impossible to obtain a license,” says Kinana.