Over 3,000 kids vie for 130 Indian school seats in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: More than 3,000 parents showed up at the Abu Dhabi Indian School (Adis) on Saturday hoping their child would be one of the lucky ones to get an admission into kindergarten 1 (KG 1) and grade 1 with only 130 seats available.

School authorities did not confirm the exact number of parents registered to take part in the lottery draw, but according to parents in attendance the number was around 4,000, with at least 3,000 turning up for the KG 1 draw and close to 1,000 registered for the grade 1 draw.

As with previous years, the limited number of seats made available is no match for the high demand thanks to affordable fees, the school’s location and the quality of its education which is based on the Indian curriculum system.

While several new Indian schools have opened in Abu Dhabi in recent years, Indian parents say high tuition fees and location on the outskirts make them less appealing when compared to Adis.

“I registered my child in this draw because the school’s tuition fees are affordable, the standards of education are also good and the location is ideal,” said Zia Ul Huque after his three-year-old daughter was given admission to KG 1.

“I applied to six other schools but this was the one I wanted, and so I was really happy when I heard my number called out. The seats are so limited and there are thousands of parents attending so I was really lucky,” he added.

Mohammad Naseem, who also attended the draw was thrilled when his daughter was selected for admissions into KG 1.

“I work inside Abu Dhabi city and it would have been really difficult if I had to send my daughter to a school that was far away. Now that she will be attending Adis the access will be much easier.

"The school price is another big plus for me. A lot of schools are very expensive these days and it’s hard to find an affordable one with good quality. There were over 3,000 applications for KG 1 seats so I’m really glad I was one of the few who managed to get one for my daughter,” he added.

Rahul Nair was another happy parent after his daughter won an admissions seat to KG 1.

'My daughter was right'

“I wasn’t so confident when I arrived because there were so many other parents, but my daughter told me that we would get the seat and so she was right! Like many other parents, I registered to take part in the admissions draw because the school tuition fees are very affordable," Nair said.

"It’s not just the fees, the school has a long history and is well established with a good infrastructure. As a parent you want the best for your child and so I’m happy knowing my daughter is going to get a quality education in Abu Dhabi,” Nair added.

Sadeep Kumar, whose son got a seat for grade 1 also commented positively.

“I was surprised and excited at the same time when they called out my number. The school has very good facilities with a nice atmosphere. The tuition fees are affordable as well.”

Gimsy Matthew, an Indian mother who registered her son for a KG 1 seat, was among the parents who were not so lucky.

It didn't work out for our son

“It didn’t work out, we will try with some other schools but this was our first choice. We feel so unlucky,” she said.

“A lot of the other schools have very high fees and as parents we have our limitations on how much we can spend," she added.

"Also, those schools are located far outside the city. We were really hoping to get a seat at Adis because of its good pricing and location,” Matthew said.