A local private school owner here has offered free tuition until the end of the year for 100 girls from the fire-hit Bara'em Al-Watan School. The offer was made by Ahlam Al-Sukary, owner and general manager of Hiteen Private School. She hoped that other schools will also help out by teaching some of the Bara'em Al-Watan students. “We were very sad when we received the horrible news on Saturday. We pray that all those who lost their lives rest in peace and we hope God protects us and our children,” said Al-Sukary. “This initiative has no conditions; it is our job as Muslims to help fellow Muslims everywhere. This is the least we can do for the horrified students and their families,” Al-Sukary said. She said her school can only accommodate 100 students at this stage, but she wanted to help because education is sacred. There are a number of qualified teachers who can start special classes for the Bara'em Al-Watan students, she added. Hiteen Private School has been operating for 30 years and has all the necessary expertise. It also has fire drills and safety awareness programs for students and teachers at least once a year, she added. Al-Sukary said she was surprised that Bara'em Al-Watan School, which has been around for 18 years and was constantly seeking to improve its services, did not have the necessary safety measures in place. She hopes that all private and public schools implement basic safety measures. “In the end we can never escape our fate. What God wants to happen will happen but we must consider this as a wake-up call for officials to take necessary measures to ensure safety and security at their schools,” she added. __
