After 38 years, King Fahad Academy Closes its Doors
6 May 2023
Teachers, parents, and students were shocked to learn that the renowned Islamic based educational institute in West London known as “King Fahad Academy” will close down its doors on September after 38 years!
The school informed the teachers in person on Tuesday after returning from Eid holiday. As for the parents, they first heard of the news through rumors before they received a letter confirming the news on Friday, 5 May.
They received a letter that said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reorganizing and restructuring its education system”
“As a consequence, it is adjusting its provision of education outside of the kingdom and is currently considering closing certain establishments. The Academy is one such establishment being considered for closure” the letter mentioned.
King Fahad Academy Closing its Doors
Despite latest changes in the management of the Saudi-backed school, the school is still very popular between Arab and Middle Eastern in the diaspora. It has about 480 students, from kinder and early ages up to the age of 18.
There is also a long waiting list for students hoping for a seat, as it is one of the few well-known schools teaching Arabic and Islam studies in London.
The school was established by the Saudi King Fahad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1985 to provide Islamic focused education for Saudis in England.
Many of the school alumni had led successful life after their graduation and went to proceed studying Law, Medicine, Engineering, etc.
One of the many successful alumni is the famous visual artist Rania Hedia El Agami Raine that attended school between 1985 and 1997. Her most recent work, celebrating the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, was displayed at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
The Academy provides an international, bilingual academic educational program different from the national curriculum for students between the ages of 3 to 18 years, in addition to special attention to Islamic education programs.
The Academy is governed by a Board of Trustees that is responsible to the Saudi Embassy. Saudi students get their education there for free, while non-Saudi families pay fees of $3,795 for the academic year, which is lower in terms of fees compared to their counterparts from private schools in Britain.
Following the news, parents have started a petition requesting the school to stay open, mentioning how important this school is for Saudis particularly and for Arabs and Muslims generally in the UK. You can sign here.
Many went to express their disappointment and frustration over twitter. The Saudi influence Abdulaziz Khamees wrote on twitter: “And the story that was known as King Fahad Academy came to an end….”
وانتهت قصةً جميلة اسمها اكاديمية الملك فهد في لندن … pic.twitter.com/BHyvtuNN8C
— عبد العزيز الخميس (@alkhames) May 3, 2023
Hanan, who appears to be a parent based on the comment, tweeted:
“I ask Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to not close the King Fahd Academy in London because it serves the Arab and Muslim children in London, as Muslims resort to it to teach their children the teachings of Islam.”
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