ABU DHABI // The school where an 11-year-old girl was beaten and severely injured could be shut down.
A team from Abu Dhabi Education Council has been investigating Al Maali International Private School since Lujain Hussein was attacked by four boys in the school playground on April 19.
"If findings show that any school failed to provide the required type of monitoring, inspection, safety and security required, Adec has the right to take all necessary steps as stipulated in the current laws and regulations . and it may get to the closure of such a school according to the magnitude of the violation committed by its management," Adec said today.
Khadeeja Al Sayar, the school principal, said: "We're not the first or the last school that had an incident like this. Similar incidents have taken place in other schools, and they have not been shut down, nor have they attracted such media attention."
After the attack Lujain was admitted to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City with a brain haemorrhage. Tests also found arteriovenous malformation, a congenital condition affecting blood supply to the brain.
Lujain is still being treated in hospital, where her family says she is making progress. She is no longer in a medically induced coma, but is sedated at night.
Adec said today its team was investigating only health and safety measures taken by the school, and any criminal aspect was a matter for the police and court investigations.
Mrs Al Sayar insists the school did nothing wrong. She said supervisors were in the playground when the incident occurred, but the playground is large and it was not possible for supervisors to be everywhere at once.
"It all happened in the matter of a minute, and by the time the supervisors were notified and went to the location, the bell rang and everyone went to their classes," she said.
"If we were wrong, then we would definitely listen to the council's requests and implement them. And if there is a major accident, we would immediately call an ambulance.
"But we did not make a mistake and this approach with all the media attention and involving everyone is not necessary. We need to focus on the girl's health and stop saying 'if'."
Mahran Hussein, Lujain's brother, welcomed the Adec investigation and said it was "to be expected".
"This is how it should be," he said. "A school has two responsibilities - to raise responsible students and to educate. If a school fails in either one of the two, it should be closed."
Mr Hussein, 22, said he wished no harm towards the four boys, aged about 9, who attacked his sister.
"We were surprised to find out from police papers that they were investigating the children. We don't want them to go to jail," he said.
"The children are still young and it is the school and the parents who could have prevented this horrible incident from taking place. They should be held responsible for what happened."
Two of the boys have taken leave of absence for relief from the "psychological implications" of the incident. The other two are still attending classes.
It is necessary to let the public know about such cases to prevent others from falling victim to such behaviour, Mr Hussein said.
"If we don't speak out about this now, then who will?" he said. "When my sister was admitted to hospital, we were told she might die. Now she is doing better, thank God, but we don't want to see another child in the same situation."
mismail@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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What%20is%20cystic%20fibrosis%3F
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECystic%20fibrosis%20is%20a%20genetic%20disorder%20that%20affects%20the%20lungs%2C%20pancreas%20and%20other%20organs.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIt%20causes%20the%20production%20of%20thick%2C%20sticky%20mucus%20that%20can%20clog%20the%20airways%20and%20lead%20to%20severe%20respiratory%20and%20digestive%20problems.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPatients%20with%20the%20condition%20are%20prone%20to%20lung%20infections%20and%20often%20suffer%20from%20chronic%20coughing%2C%20wheezing%20and%20shortness%20of%20breath.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ELife%20expectancy%20for%20sufferers%20of%20cystic%20fibrosis%20is%20now%20around%2050%20years.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FULL%20RESULTS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Harry%20%26%20Meghan
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Pathaan
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More coverage from the Future Forum
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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