Dubai’s Pakistani School students urged to find new school

With just two weeks remaining for the end of the 2012-13 academic year, the education regulatory authority Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has urged parents of students at the Al Farooq Pakistani School to find alternate schooling.

Considering the school has been unable to resolve issues relating to the non-payment of rent for two years, the school in Hor Al Anz will have to be evicted from its current location.

According to the KHDA, if the institution doesn’t come up with a feasible solution for its problems, its closure seems inevitable.

This involves a risk of getting their education permit withdrawn.

“KHDA is still awaiting the school’s plan and solutions for its premises. We once again urge all parents of students in Al Farooq Pakistani School to play a more pro-active role and start looking for places for their children,” advised Mohammed Darwish, chief of the Regulations and Compliance Commission (RCC) at KHDA.

“KHDA is on standby for any transfer-related requests and a last-minute rush for school seats is an unsettling situation for the students.”

Ever since the school received an eviction notice by the rent committee in October last year, KHDA has been urging the parents to look for alternate arrangements, even liaising with the two other Pakistani-curriculum schools.

In fact, the KHDA has secured admissions for more than half of its 700 students.

The school was ranked ‘unsatisfactory’ as per the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) in its school inspection report this year as well.

It has remained in the same ranking over the last four years.

The two other schools that offer Pakistani curriculum in Dubai are His Highness Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School and Pakistan Education Academy.

The education regulatory authority had stepped in to allow the school to complete the current academic year at the present location even though the legal notice has been issued with immediate effect.

Earlier, KHDA had held several meetings with the school management to discuss the options available, including the use of a land grant that the school has not yet used.

“KHDA expected a more proactive approach from the school management. Since the required steps have not been taken, KHDA is stepping in to protect the interests of the students. KHDA is keen that the parents are not faced with a situation where they have nowhere to go in April.”

The KHDA had earlier helped the school to shift its location from a villa to a public school building following the federal law banning villa-schools.

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