Abu Dhabi school seat lottery leaves fate of hundreds of students in limbo

Abu Dhabi: Little did three-and-a-half-year-old Shahid Ali Abrar know that he was sealing the academic fate of hundreds of children his age, perhaps his own.

He obediently picked coupons out of a box to decide the lucky few who had won no less than a ‘highly coveted' school admission.

More than 2,500 children had applied for the 109 seats available in the Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS) last week, wherein admissions would be decided by a lottery.

Friday morning was the school "lottery" day. Unlike the usual Friday mornings, the school was thronged by thousands — children who were seeking admission and their parents.

Shahid, vying for a kindergarten (KG) seat, was among the few toddlers invited to pick a coupon.

Happy

The day began at 8am. As a packed auditorium anxiously witnessed the draw, admission seekers for other classes waited outside.

After a few hours, kindergarten applicants left the auditorium; most were dismayed at not winning a seat.

About 66 seats were available in KG, 30 in grade one and 13 in grade two.

"I feel very happy… it's like winning a huge lottery prize," Lighosh K.A., one of the parents who won a KG 1 seat, said.

He added that he had taken two days off from work to complete the application process for his daughter.

Another parent who was awaiting the result said: "It is all based on luck ... Seeing the rush makes me feel it is easier to get a medical seat admission."

"The government needs to intervene and find an alternative for the students, since Sherwood Academy has announced that they will close by 2013," Afsar Sajid, a parent, told Gulf News.

The school could be asked to extend its date of closure until an alternative solution is found to the shortage of seats in Indian schools, he suggested.

"Opening of a new school is the only solution," said Sushma Patel, who has been seeking admission for her eight-year-old son for the past three years.

Solution: Ministry decision will be crucial

The Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS) might go back to its shift system — where girls attend school in the morning and boys in the afternoon — provided the education ministry approves. Prominent businessman and Chairman of ADIS, B. R. Shetty, announced the decision.

"People are leaving with sad faces and this has compelled us to consider the shift system, at least until enough seats are available. The school will approach the ministry... if they approve, those who applied already will get first preference," he said.

What do you think of this system? What solution would you suggest to the problem?