Education Ministry officials are frustrated over a new academic year that has begun without any of the promised changes.
Last month during the Executive Council's ordinary meeting, General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, had stressed that more attention be given to the quality of education in public and private schools at all educational levels.
He said private schools, which offered inadequate facilities to their students, would face action and would be compelled to rectify the situation at the earliest.
A ministry source said: "We expected to see major changes beginning this academic year, but nothing has happened. Schools are ignoring our warnings and are continuing with their violations.
"Nearly none of the schools that were asked to move to more adequate locations have done so."
Juma Al Salami, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, yesterday told Gulf News: "We are going on with our job and we have the right to fine any school which does not meet our policies."
He said the academic year has begun "normally" but residents should expect major changes. "It is too soon to see any changes but we expect that there will be changes in facilities, programmes, examinations and teaching methods."
In Al Ain, public schools welcomed thousands of students at the start of the new academic year. The city roads were crowded with school buses and private vehicles early in the morning.
A majority of private schools opened last week.
According to Saeed Rashid Al Niyadi, Director of Al Ain Education Zone, some 82,000 students have started attending private and public schools in Al Ain.
In Ras Al Khaimah, however, there was a shortage of textbooks, especially for Grade 10, in a number of public schools.
Several public schools in Ras Al Khaimah did not receive students on the first academic day on Saturday because of the ongoing maintenance work.
Abdullah Musabah, who heads the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone, said attendance was normal yesterday.
Meanwhile, Fatma Ganem Al Merri, Director, Al Raya High School in Dubai, said, "We are looking forward to this year and hope it will be successful and fruitful especially after the minister's call for educational reforms in public schools. This year's start was perfect everything was ready and we had no shortage of teachers or facilities."
With inputs from Aftab Kazmi, Nasouh Nazzal and Bassam Za'za'
Gulf News
