Abu Dhabi: A decision by Abu Dhabi’s education sector regulator to close Al Worood Academy Private School at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year still stands, and its operating licence will be revoked, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) announced in a statement sent today (May 12).
The school shutdown will be implemented in August as a result of the school’s negligence in adhering to safety and security regulations, particularly with regard to its transportation system, the statement said.
The Adec decree was initially announced last October when four-year-old Nizaha Aala’a died on board a school bus after she had been mistakenly left locked inside it. Yesterday (May 11), a decision by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals ordered the school to pay Dh100,000 in blood money and a Dh50,000 fine. It also indicated that the school closure could be revoked, but the Adec affirmed its initial closure order on Tuesday.
As reported by Gulf News in October, Adec has taken over the school’s financial and administrative matters until its complete shutdown.
In addition, it assigned alternative school seats in February to all 1,900 pupils who are currently enrolled at the institution. Authorities ensured that the school seats for the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year are located close to the pupils’ residences, and offer convenient transportation alternatives. In addition, siblings have also been enrolled at the same alternative facility.
After being left in an Al Worood school bus, Aala’a, a kindergarten pupil from India, was found dead hours later with multiple bruises on her skull. Investigators also said she had suffered heat exhaustion.
Following the tragedy, five people were arrested, including the Filipina bus attendant, the Indian bus driver, a Lebanese employee at the school, the South African principal of the school and the Pakistani owner of the transport company that had provided the school with the bus in question.
The Court of Appeals ruled yesterday (May 11) that the bus driver and transport company owner should serve six months, and the bus attendant a year in jail.
Al Worood, one of the capital’s oldest schools, had witnessed declining standards in recent years, parents told Gulf News earlier. It had been rated among schools in Band C (Needing Significant Improvement), with a very unsatisfactory grade (Grade 7), during the previous round of school inspections. The Adec inspection report had also made several recommendations, including some to resolve unaccountable leadership practices and insufficient attention given to the care, protection, guidance and support of pupils.
