Arabiyya School will temporarily use the old Foreign Ministry building until their permanent building is constructed, the government has decided.
An official from Arabiyya School told AVAS the Education Ministry had informed the school of the government's decision to temporarily shift the students to the old Foreign Ministry building until the new school building is completed. The building was used by the Foreign Ministry when their designated building was undergoing renovation and repairs. The ministry has since shifted back to its original location, leaving the temporary building vacant. The official said changes are being brought to the building's layout and design to accommodate the students.
Arabiyya School's current building was constructed and opened in 2013. The less-than-ten-year-old building already has multiple cracks in the building beams, and parents and the public alike have raised concerns about the safety of the building.
While the Education Ministry initially planned to shift Arabiyya School students to Izzuddin School, the school's PTA was unhappy with the decision. The parents refused to send their children to school as they did not believe it was wise for the Arabic-medium school's students and teachers to share a building with Izzuddin School's students and staff.
Although the Education Ministry held their ground, the parents staged protests outside the school and directly took up their concerns with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. During a meeting with the school's PTA, the president informed them of the administration’s decision to develop a new building for the school on the land plot of the old Jamaluddin School. He has further said he would confer with the ministry and relevant authorities to explore avenues to resolve the concerns raised at the meeting.
