ABU DHABI // Fifteen public schools are opening after hours as community centres for pupils and their parents around the emirate.
And the education regulator is looking to extend the programme to all public schools.
The 15 schools offer activities including swimming, chess clubs, physical education and fitness sessions, and design, cooking, sewing and arts and crafts classes.
“The community school will be your second home,” Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, announced at Al Qimma School on Monday.
“This project seeks to strengthen the relationship between students, parents, school administration and teachers, and to change the concept of the traditional schools.
“They become not only a place for students to study and learn, but also a family meeting forum that offers educational services and activities, as well as professional and skills development for all.”
Each school has varied programmes staffed by 19 teachers. They are open from 4pm to 8pm, with Sundays and Tuesdays set aside for women and Mondays and Wednesdays for men. A pilot programme was successfully held in three schools last year, said Nasser Khamis, Adec’s manager for extracurricular activities.
“The school becomes a social centre,” Mr Khamis said. “You can come with your girls to play basketball, go swimming, read, do some arts and crafts classes.
“So when you come with your girls you can find a lot of activities together. You can spend time together and know more about the school, more about the principal, more about the teachers.”
Most of the classes will be free to parents and pupils who are registered at the school. A nominal fee may be charged to parents for some workshops.
Laura Scott, whose son and daughter attend a public school in Mussaffah, said she was looking forward to the initiative spreading to all public schools.
“I think it is important that girls particularly learn how to sew and bake, which nowadays is missing in mainstream education,” said Mrs Scott, a Briton who is married to an Emirati.
“And yes, it may be a bit old fashioned, but we still need these skills.
“In Islam, we’re taught that we’re supposed to know to horse ride, how to swim, how to do archery. How many boys know how to ride horses, how to swim, how to do archery?
“This is something recommended in Islam. Since the country has the means, why not teach boys as early as possible?”
Dr Jawairriya Shahad, principal of Aalya School in Al Ain, said she was pleasantly overwhelmed by the large number of parents and students visiting the school after hours eager to take part.
“We’re trying to find solutions to serve more,” Dr Shahad said.
The community schools in Abu Dhabi are Mubarak bin Mohammed, Al Shawamekh, Al Qimma, Abdullah bin Otaiba and Khalifa City A. In Al Ain, the community schools include Al Jahly, Mezyad, Maryam bint Sultan, Aalya and Ahmed bin Zayed.
In Al Gharbia, community schools can be found at Al Khama’el, Al Selaa, Al Marfa, Al Gharbia and Bayat Al Redwan.
“Our target is to expand to all schools but we have also to give priorities based on the facilities and availability of all of the required services there,” Dr Al Qubaisi said.
“What we are willing to offer now is mainly free access to those facilities to the students who are part of the school and their parents and who are living in that neighbourhood.”
rpennington@thenational.ae