4 new schools to add over 3,000 seats in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) is providing an additional 3,090 school seats across four ex—governmental vacant buildings in order to help fulfill the growing demand of private schools.

Three buildings are on the Abu Dhabi island, and require British and American (or its equivalent) curricula. The fourth building is in Baniyas area and should offer a Ministry of Education curriculum.

Interested investors and operators, who wish to invest in private schools, must be licensed and registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UAE, and are, required to submit a proposal for leasing the Buildings to operate any of them.

As a prerequisite for participation, interested firms must have a record of excellence and success in managing and operating schools.

“The most important factor we consider when selecting an interested firm, is their experience in managing and operating a private school, since a sustainable school system and quality education are on the top of our priority list. We must make sure those interested in managing schools have an excellent proven track record of success with previous schools” stressed Engineer Hamad Al Dhaheri, Executive Director for Adec’s Private Schools and Quality Assurance Sector (PSQA).

In the past five years, there has been an evident increase in the number of student enrollments across private schools by seven percent, with an expected increase of another five per cent over the next few years.

In addition, Adec plans to open 21 new private schools in the next three years, with six new schools due to open in 2013/2014, nine new schools opening in 2014/2015 and six new schools in 2015/2016.

As per a PSQA study, there is an increasing demand for private schools in all curricula. Records for the past five years illustrate an increase in students’ enrollment in private schools, which will continue to grow in the next few years due to a transfer of additional students from the Northern Emirates and a growing population rate in Abu Dhabi.

PSQA is supporting additional school seats in order to meet the growing demand and to close the gap between market supply and demand. In this regard, PSQA is allocating the Buildings to interested firms who will be able to operate in the new Buildings and help achieve the sector’s goal.

In addition, PSQA has held the 1st annual Private Education Investment Forum this year which has attracted approximately 150 education operators and investors. The forum helped raise awareness regarding the private schools market status and on PSQA’s strategies and initiatives.

“Our main obligation in PSQA is to make sure that the quality of education across existing and upcoming schools is maintained, while affordable education options to all P-12 students are available. As part of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision, the emirate is expected to be recognised as a world class education hub; thus ADEC makes sure that a strong and solid education foundation is built,” said Engineer Al Dhaheri.

Explaining further, Engineer Al Dhaheri added: “We are very selective about the investors and operators we partner with from the very beginning, since our main priority is and will always be our stakeholders, which is why our regulations cater to their needs as we see best fit, whether that includes students, parents, teachers and/or other staff members in a school.”

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