Dubai: As part of their humanitarian and community efforts, the Dubai Police, in cooperation with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and businesswoman Salma Khan, have enrolled five children of female inmates in private schools with the start of the new school year.

 

Major General Ali Al Shamali, Director of the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions at Dubai Police, said enrolling these children in regular Dubai schools comes in implementation of the directives of His Excellency Lieutenant-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, to ensure the happiness of internal and external communities, especially children, and to enable them to obtain their full rights guaranteed by law.

 

Al Shamali explained that the gesture complements the Department’s “Let's Learn” initiative that was launched by penal institutions years ago to provide an educational and recreational environment for the children of inmates. “This project guarantees the rights of children to enrol in schools and the rights to receive accredited certificates after completing each stage so that they can continue their studies once they return to their homeland,” he said. 

Colonel Jamila Al Zaabi, director of the Women's Prison in Dubai, said the children have been hosted by Dubai Police in a special complex near the women prison and are being taken care of by professional nannies, as they have no one to receive them or take care of them while their mothers serve their sentences. “Some of the children have reached school age, if they do not pursue their education and obtain accredited certificates, they will be left behind once their mothers' sentences end and they return to their homeland,” “From this standpoint, Dubai Police, in coordination with strategic partners namely KHDA, sought to enrol them in schools after conducting the required evaluation and assessment," Al Zaabi said. 

 

 

Colonel Al Zaabi added, “We’ve made great efforts over the past two years to enrol children of female inmates into regular schools, and to enable them to pursue their education in the different academic levels as we believe that all children should enjoy their rights, including the right to education,” 

 

Colonel Al Zaabi concluded by extending the force’s thanks and appreciation to all strategic partners, charitable institutions, and philanthropists who have been supportive to the humanitarian initiatives launched by Dubai Police.