Abu Dhabi sets fines upto Dhs250,000 for schools flouting virus protocols

  • Date: 20-Feb-2021
  • Source: Gulf Today
  • Sector:Education
  • Country:UAE
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Abu Dhabi sets fines upto Dhs250,000 for schools flouting virus protocols

As schools throughout Abu Dhabi continue to reopen, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has announced it will continue regular inspections of all schools and nurseries to ensure ongoing compliance to wide-ranging COVID-19 prevention protocols and secure the safety of all staff, pupils, and parents.





ADEK has identified a sliding scale of penalties for regulation breaches with fines ranging from Dhs10,000 to Dhs250,000.







Repeated non-compliance can lead to schools being forced to shift to distance learning provision, with parents entitled to remove their children from the school and gain fee refunds.



 





Based on inspections, non-compliant nurseries can be immediately moved to distance learning for a week, or fined.



After inspecting all schools in the emirate last August and issuing No Objection Certificates to 220 compliant schools to reopen, ADEK is mandating further checks to maintain safety standards, with those found flouting the guidelines set to face stiff penalties.



 



"We have to put the safety of our community first and ongoing inspections are vital to ensure parents have confidence in the safety protocols of our schools and nurseries,“ explained Amer Al Hammadi, Undersecretary of ADEK.