Abu Dhabi: A private school in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region has been shut down for failing to meet safety standards, it was announced on Monday.

The standards, set by the emirate’s education sector regulator, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), were not followed by Western Model Private School in the town of Ghayathi.

A report obtained last February showed that the school was in “very poor” structural condition and faced “extreme safety hazards”, the Adec said in a statement on Monday.

Accordingly, last July, the school was ordered to be shut down before the start of its 2016-2017 academic year, and parents were informed about the upcoming closure.

In a statement to Gulf News, the Adec’s Private Sector and Quality Assurance Department explained that the school’s “concrete compressive, quality and resistivity were rated very poor”.

“The overall structural condition of the building was rated very poor, and the corrosion risk was rated hazardous. Although no children were [harmed, and no parents had complained] pupils’ safety is our top priority,” it added.

The Adec had also been in talks with school authorities earlier to improve overall performance.

In order to ensure that pupils are not adversely affected by the closure, six government schools nearby have been allocated to help accommodate 216 Emirati and Arab pupils. Meanwhile, 282 Asian pupils can be enrolled at two private schools nearby.

As reported by Gulf News earlier, the Adec shut down 72 private schools in the emirate between 2008 and 2015 because they were housed in non-purpose-built facilities that fell short of health, hygiene and safety standards. These villa schools, which used to offer affordable school fees, faced problems such as congested classrooms, unsafe corridors and structural issues with their buildings. About 46,000 pupils enrolled at these facilities were also moved to purpose-built school premises.

In today’s statement, the Adec reiterated that it would “take strict legal action against any school that does not adhere to safety and security standards”.