School group in Abu Dhabi, Dubai to open after Eid

Abu Dhabi: The Emirates National School (ENS) branches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have announced that they will open their doors for the next school year only after Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr on September 27 this year.

They are the first schools which follow "a non-ministry curriculum", to open after Eid.

The schools informed the parents yesterday that they will follow the Ministry of Education decision to delay the starting of the school year until the end of Ramadan.

The ENS Board did a wide survey among the parents three weeks ago, and asked one question: "Regarding the government decision about the starting of the school this year (2009/2010), do you prefer to delay the school year for students until after Ramadan?"

Within the last three weeks, the school received answers from more than 95 per cent of the parents.

On Wednesday, the school announced that it will delay the starting of the educational year based on the results of the survey. ENS sent a message to all parents, saying school will be starting on September 27.

The Emirates National School is a private one that follows an international curriculum. Sources in the school board told Gulf News that although the school follows European, American and Singaporean curriculum, "we decided to engage parents in this important decision".

"We sent them a clear and direct message and asked them whether they prefer to start the school during Ramadan, or to follow the government decision that public schools will start after Eid Al Fitr. They answered clearly that they want the school to start after the holy month, so we are going [with] their decision," an official said.

Ali Meihad Al Suwaidi, Director of the Ministry of Education, told Gulf News: "The ministry of education encourages such kinds of processes in all private schools".

He thanked the ENS board for allowing parents to participate in making the decision.

"Of course this decision is the private school's internal matter, and the ministry lets each school implement its decision, but we encourage them to follow the ENS when they announce their final decision about the beginning of the school year."