Enrolment enquiries roll in as construction progresses on Dubai Festival City schools

Since announcing the schools last June, one of which will follow the British national curriculum and the second the American curriculum, Dubai Festival City has received a swathe of enrolment enquiries.

Educational Services Overseas Limited (ESOL), the management company appointed to operate the two schools is confident that they will provide Dubai Festival City residents and the larger Dubai public with student-centric international education of the highest standards.

Describing the schools' educational mission, Walid Abushakra, ESOL's CEO and the Superintendent of its schools, said: "In these schools, as in other ESOL schools, parents can be rest-assured that their children are receiving an education that will prepare them for the challenges of the future.

"Our graduates should have all of the basic tools they need for success in today's global business-world, and they should also leave us with a strong sense of the values of citizenship."

In addition to the standard British and American curricula, the schools will eventually offer more challenging programs to students at the higher grades. Students at the British school will have the option of pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma, or the British Baccalaureate once it is introduced. Students at the American school seeking a more challenging course of study will also have the option of pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma in addition to the American High School Diploma.

"One factor that is helping to drive interest in enrolments is the summer work-experience programmes that will be offered to the highest achievers, with students travelling abroad to work with some of the European and Japanese organisations that fall under the Al-Futtaim Group umbrella in the UAE," explained Phil McArthur, Director Of Leasing and Marketing at Dubai Festival City.

Spacious, state-of-the-art facilities in each school will include a media centre, science and computer labs, art studios, music and lecture halls, swimming pools, gymnasiums and prayer rooms. Each school will also have extensive playgrounds and full-size soccer field encircled by a running track. The two schools can each accommodate up to 2,500 students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

ESOL currently manages schools in Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Gaza, and is uniquely qualified to deliver high-quality international primary and secondary school education in Dubai.

During December 2004, ESOL will open an office at Dubai's Knowledge Village that will deal with enquiries about the schools. Until then, enrolment queries will be handled by ESOL representatives who will operate from Dubai Festival City's leasing office.

While the two new schools will be the first educational establishments at the 1600-acre Dubai Festival City project, discussions are already underway for the development of a nursery school to service the growing needs of its residents.

"Dubai Festival City will be a true waterfront community, and as such will contain all the facilities that would be found in a modern town or city environment; schools obviously being an important element," said McArthur.

"The high educational standards offered at Dubai Festival City will enhance the community and help make it one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in Dubai."