Sharjah parents allege favouritism in schools

Admissions to private schools for the academic year 2014-2015 is a major problem for parents in Sharjah, since most schools have already announced the closure of admissions because of ‘no vacancies’.

This despite the current academic year not yet being finished, a report in the Al Khaleej newspaper has stated.

Parents of students have expressed their concern about a lack of seats in private schools to enroll their children in Sharjah for the academic year 2014 to 2015.

Parents quoted in the report said: “We paid a visit to the school at the beginning of January to register our children, but they didn’t accept us at that time and school management confirmed that  enrollment will be at the beginning of April.”

When the parents quoted rushed to the school this month, they were shocked to learn that all seats were now occupied.

Even the waiting list was huge, according to the report.

Dr Mohamed Abdurrahman, father of one of the affected children identified as Nadine in the report, said that he visited private schools for almost two months to register his daughter for the KG.

He initially received reassuring promises that registration will be at the beginning of April .

He added that he got a shock when he went to the schools in April and was told admissions were closed.

Naji Osman, also one of the affected parents, said he was not able to register his son Mohammed in a private schools.

Maryam Emadudin, mother of student Khalid Ahmed, says outstanding students will contribute to the enhancing of the school's reputation and alleged favouritism in admission examinations.

Favouritism in the admission process was an allegation levelled by several parents in the report.

What the schools say

A private school administrator who preferred to be anonymous said that a school will not close its doors in the face of a parent as long as there is a vacant place to register the student.

He added but some of the classes closed admissions due the specified number of students being reached.

He said school managements are committed to regulations which deem the capacity of a classroom as 30 students for basic education and 24 students in kindergarten.

He pointed out that parents are unaware of compliance with these regulations.

He also added that parents randomly enroll their children in more than one school.

Official view

Hessa Al Khaja, Head of the Department of Private Education at the Sharjah Education Zone said: “The admission and registration of students in private schools is dependent on vacancies in these schools and the number of students per class specified by the rules.”

She confirmed that no private school can accept even one student more than the specified number.

She added that regulations required private schools not to increase the capacity of the classrooms in the first and second phase of basic education, in addition to 24 students for kindergarten.

Al Khaja pointed out that each student has to have ‘space’ (one and-a-half-metre) in the classroom.

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