More after-school activities needed: Survey

Abu Dhabi: A survey of parents across the emirate of Abu Dhabi has found that many of them are unhappy about the lack of extracurricular activities in public and private schools.

The survey was conducted by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), and it reached out to 52,534 parents and guardians who have children enrolled across 445 public and private schools.

A statement sent by the Adec about the survey did not however mention the number of parents who expressed this concern, or how many schools are failing to incorporate non-academic activities into their curricula.

The complaint was, however, echoed by most of the parents who spoke to Gulf News, and they pointed out that the shortage is most pertinent in the provision of physical activities.

“I believe the high prevalence of childhood obesity in the UAE is directly linked to the absence of extracurricular physical activities that are undertaken in schools. My children spend half their day in school, and the other half finishing their homework, and this leaves no time for them to go out for regular exercise,” said Syed Wajid Ali, a 48-year-old system analyst from Pakistan.

His son and daughter are enrolled at a private school in the capital.

“In my opinion, schools should set aside at least 30 minutes to an hour every day so that children can take part in sport and other physical activities. This is an essential part of ensuring their wellbeing.

“At present, the school offers only one physical education class a week, and this is not enough to encourage a healthy lifestyle among children,” he added.

Ammar Al Thuwaini, 47, a Jordanian media executive, agreed that schools did not place enough emphasis on physical activities.

“In terms of extracurricular initiatives, the private school that my children attend offers enough school trips and competitions. But there are only about two classes a week for sports. I would prefer if this was increased to at least 20 minutes daily,” he said.

The statement said that Adec director general Dr Mugheer Al Khaili has already urged concerned officials at the council to follow up on the complaint.

Parents also appeared to be unhappy with school management, especially with regard to fees in private schools.

“This has always been an issue. I am paying about Dh20,000 as tuition for each of my three children. Moreover, I find that teachers change very often or leave in the middle of the school year, and this creates a lot of instability for children,” Al Thuwaini pointed out.

The Adec statement said that nearly 21,000 Emirati parents had responded to the survey. It added that Dr Al Khaili had instructed school authorities to ensure that schoolchildren are protected from verbal and mental abuse.

He also urged that special needs children, many of whom are now enrolled at mainstream public and private schools, be dealt with according to their specific needs and that their guardians be treated with care.