Abu Dhabi, April 19 (Inditop.com/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has shut down six schools as their buildings breached safety rules and posed a threat to the safety of students, community and environment.
The schools will no longer be allowed to enrol students in the next academic year as the conditions of their buildings do not allow for continuing education and can no longer be used.
A campaign was launched by the Abu Dhabi municipality in collaboration with the General Directorate of the Civil Defence which resulted in serving notices to several schools and ordering six of them to close for ever at the end of the current academic year, the municipality said in a statement Sunday.
The campaign had called on private schools to comply with the safety standards in buildings for the safety of students and the community as a whole.
The municipality also asked parents to report any breach of safety standards in schools.
“The campaign revealed offences breaching the approved engineering standards of buildings that included constructional modifications to boost their capacity at the expense of students’ convenience and safety,” Awaidah Al Qubaisi, acting executive director, Abu Dhabi municipality, said.
“The campaign highlighted all safety standards in the event of emergency conditions along with their abilities to vacate the building. Fire-fighting networks, hand-held water mains, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, emergency exits were inspected. The campaign unearthed serious offences that threaten the safety of students,” Mohammed Nasir Al Harthi, of the General Directorate of the Civil Defence, said.
