Two Indian schools in Abu Dhabi to add 1,400 seats

Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mar.8 (ANI): Two Indian schools in Abu Dhabi have got approval to add about 1,400 seats in the next academic year.

Revealing this, India's envoy to the UAE, M.K.Lokesh said there were growing concerns in the Indian expatriate community about shortage of seats in Indian schools in Abu Dhabi.

Lokesh told a press conference at the Indian Embassy here, that he met Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, the Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), who informed him that efforts were being made to address the issue.

According to Gulf News, Dr. Al Khaili and ADEC are taking several immediate steps to address the most important issue of the Indian community.

Ambassador Lokesh said that a new shift at Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS, with about 900 seats, and several new divisions with 485 seats at the Model School have already been approved.

ADEC has also asked several other Indian schools to report on the availability of space to add more seats, the ambassador said.

He said ADEC is also considering the applications from several Indian school managements to start new schools.

"School principals said there were about 4,000 applications for 900 vacant seats. Considering the possible duplication of applications [one child applying at more than one school], an exact number of required seats cannot be made," he explained.

ADEC was not immediately available for comments yesterday. (ANI)