No way to shift to single session, Arabiyya parents express concerns

Deputy Chair of Arabiyya School’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Aishath Shahidha said that parents were concerned as there were no options to shift to a single session.

Speaking to Sun, she said that while President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had stated that the new Arabiyya building would be in the old Jamaaludheen plot, he did not state that another building would be there as well.

Parents of Arabiyya School students protested in December last year, over the large cracks in the school building raising questions as to the structural integrity of the building and students’ safety.

As a result, Education Ministry announced their decision to temporarily transfer Arabiyya School students to Izzudheen School – a decision which the parents had opposed. Following this, the Ministry said they were seeking land from Male’ City to construct a new building to relocate Arabiyya School. President Solih had decided to allocate the old Jamaluddin land plot to develop a new building for Arabiyya School on December 20.

At present, Arabiyya School students study at the temporary building that which Foreign Ministry had used previously.

Shadhiya said that parents had hoped for a permanent solution to the issue. However, they were told that as an additional building for Jamaaludheen is being built in the same plot, Arabiyya School cannot shift to a single session.

“Arabiyya is also a school we want to change to a single session. When we met with the education minister at the time, we were told that it was a policy to move all schools to a single session. In that regard, [the ministry said that] no plot smaller than 25,000 square feet will be used to build a school.”

Noting that the new building of Arabiyaa is being built on land that is only 18,000 square feet, Shadhiya said that there is no longer a way to make the school a single-session one. She added that a letter has been sent to the president requesting for a discussion on the issue.

On Thursday, 29th September, Amin Construction Private Limited was contracted to design and construct the new building for Arabiyya School an annex to the current Jamaluddin School building.

Arabiyya School’s new building will comprise of 40 classrooms, a multipurpose hall, and four elevators. The annex to the current Jamaluddin School building will comprise of 34 classrooms, two elevators, and restrooms.

Apart from this, an employee parking area has been included in the design for staff at both schools.