ABU DHABI // Hundreds of parents queued through the night until early yesterday morning in a scramble to find school places for their children months before the start of the new academic year.
The shortage of spaces at Indian schools was triggered by the closure of villa schools, and parents say it has been made worse by new Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) rules that cut class sizes.
Many parents are also reluctant to send their children to schools in Musaffah, which is increasing demand at schools on the island.
There are 17 Indian schools in Abu Dhabi but only three offer grades 11 and 12, a crucial factor for parents who prefer their children to be in one school until they are ready for college.
A number of schools will hold lotteries over the next few weeks, in which pupils will be selected at random.
Mohammed Qutub was the first in line yesterday morning when a few spots opened for admission to the Indian Islamic Islahi School, which offers classes from kindergarten to Grade 12.
Mr Qutub spent Friday evening in his car in front of the school, then queued from 11.30pm. When the gates opened at 6am and first-come, first-served registration began, Mr Qutub scanned a list on the wall - only to find there was no place available for his son in Grade 1.
"They should have informed us before that there were no seats. I would not have come," he said.
More than 100 parents had tried to register their children at the school by 6.30am yesterday, but most left disappointed because there were no places available for most of the classes.
"No parent will mind standing in the rain and waiting all night but for those who did not get anything, now it is even more suffering," said Obeid Querishi. He arrived at 3.50am yesterday, was fifth in line and secure a place for his daughter in kindergarten.
"There is no proper transportation, no security and no guarantees of safety for children whose parents send them to Musaffah," Mr Qutub said.
By yesterday afternoon the Indian Islamic Islahi School had received 500 applications for a "limited" number of seats, said Mohammed Mon, the manager of administrative services. He expected more applications in the next few days.
Adec announced last year that at least two schools would be permitted to increase capacity, providing space for an additional 600 pupils. The Abu Dhabi Indian School was allowed to provide an additional 400 places.
Adec also said it would offer free land to encourage investors to build Indian schools. An unused government building in Al Gharbia with room for 800 pupils was also offered.
The Private International Indian School, a part of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) network, opened in Musaffah in September. The school, established in a building owned by the grandson of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, provided 1,000 places last year and is expected to cater for 4,500 students at full capacity.
Another four Indian schools are in the pipeline, but these are among 29 other international curricula schools licensed to operate in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Parents say this illustrates a lack of interest among providers in establishing affordable and good-quality Indian schools.
The New Indian Model School in Musaffah has ben told by Adec close its Muroor branch in March, and move its pupils to a new extension in Musaffah. School authorities say they are unable to provide many new spaces.
Abdul Rasheed, the vice principal of the school, said: "We have received whole-hearted support from Adec but there are limitations of infrastructure. We need more land and more rooms. That takes time."
Mr Rasheed said he hoped more spaces would open with transfer certificates requested by parents who were transferring their children either to another school or back to India.
"We are helpless. The parents are crying for their children. Their future is left on the streets," Mr Rasheed said. "In some cases the only choice is to send them back to India."
Mr Qutub faces another night waiting in front of another Indian school.
"There is a lottery draw, so that is one more option left," he said. "After that, I don't have any other options. I don't know what else to do."
No one from Adec was available for comment.
With additional reporting by Afshan Ahmad