Dubai: Jumeirah’s Tiny Feet Nursery will be shutting down, confirmed the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) on Thursday.
A circular was sent to all parents informing them that December 15 will be the nursery’s last day.
Talks about the nursery’s closure have been circulating among parents for several weeks, who have expressed frustration about the short notice period, that has left them searching for a new nursery before the start of the second semester.
Parents, who spoke to Gulf News, said they were previously told by the nursery’s principal that the decision to close down was due to complaints from neighbours in the area. However, the KHDA said it was a decision linked to government authorities.
“The nursery is choosing to close down due to irregularities connected with other government authorities in addition to financial matters. Parents have been informed of the closure in a circular sent by the nursery and alternative arrangements with other nurseries in the vicinity have been suggested,” said Mohammad Ahmad Darwish, chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at KHDA.
The nursery located opposite to Jumeirah Beach Hotel, behind the Global Eye offices, has been operational since 1987. The nursery declined a comment when contacted.
The circular emailed to parents read: “This had had to be the hardest decision we as a company have had to make. We as a company would like to assure you that we had done anything and everything in our power to change our group’s decision but have been unsuccessful.”
However, parents remain in a state of panic hoping they are able to find another nursery before the start of the new term in January.
One parent, Mousa Nimer, told Gulf News that speculation about closure had been doing rounds, causing panic among parents. “We’ve invested money, time and hope with this nursery for my son, and the reason for closure plus the short notice was truly strange and disappointing. We seek to understand how and why the nursery is closing down, as well as we seek some arrangement to make the transition easier for ourselves and the children as many parents are struggling to find other nurseries that meet their requirements,” said Nimer.
Another parent, Rana Al Waheedi, from Jordan said she was given the news by the principal who also confirmed that complaints from residents in the area were the reason behind the closure. “I was told it will close by December 15, and this is a very short period for parents to find another nursery and shift their children who have to spend months getting used to a new environment. I have two kids in the nursery and one of them will have to redo her foundation stage one term in order to be excepted into a primary school,” said the mother of two.
Sri Lankan expatriate Mahkisha Gawaramma said the short notice has created a lot of stress for her family. “We don’t know the real reasons about the closure ... (whether it is) just that neighbours have complained. We weren’t even given a one-month notice,” she added.
Meanwhile, S.F, from Pakistan said she was told by another parent about the closure and later confirmed it with the principal. S.F. also said the electricity and water supplies to the nursery were cut on November 28. “It is one thing to shut down the nursery so suddenly and it’s another to have no water or electricity in the nursery. Parents should have been informed so that they could make the decision of taking their children home,” she added.
