Only days after opening, the Egyptian school has been closed down by authorities
CAIRO: Italian authorities in Milan shut down an Egyptian school only three days after its initial opening on Monday.
Egyptian and Italian elementary and middle high school students were prevented from attending their classes at the Naguib Mahfouz School Thursday, according to reports by the Italian news service AKI.
Classes at the school started on Oct. 9 even though it had not yet received full official permission to do so. According to AKI, the authorities claimed that the school did not have the necessary local and national certifications.
AKI added that an inspection by the fire brigades Wednesday declared the building unsafe but noted that the school administration felt they would be able to conform to safety standards by the beginning of the following school week on Monday.
The school s announcement [that] it was opening without the appropriate certification sparked a major controversy in Milan, the Italian news agency reported, With local conservative authorities calling for its immediate closure and the institute s director accusing the city of using red tape to stop a school destined to Muslim immigrants.
The school was founded by 43-year old Egyptian businessman Mahmoud Othman and the languages of instruction are Italian and Arabic.
The Milan city council denied allegations that authorities had taken too long to give the school its certification. Authorities say that once the school receives the required certification, it will be allowed to open its doors to students. Education minister Giuseppe Fioroni was quoted Wednesday as saying that laws are equal for all, those who mean to open a school need to present the required certification. Agencies
