To: ABA Oman International School Administration

Subject: Request to Allow DP Students to Study Off-Campus During Free Periods

We, the undersigned DP students, respectfully request that ABA Oman International School consider allowing students to leave campus during their free periods, subject to parental permission and appropriate school procedures.

This request is based on academic productivity and the demands of the Diploma Program rather than simply a desire for additional free time.

The introduction of the new nine-day rotation has increased the frequency of free periods for students. While we appreciate having additional independent time in our schedules, the current school environment does not always allow us to use these periods as effectively as possible.

The DP Study Room can become crowded and difficult to work in effectively. Meanwhile, although the library is an important school resource, it is also used by elementary classes and other groups during the school day. Lessons, group activities, and activities such as singing can create significant noise, making sustained concentration difficult.

This is particularly important for DP students, whose free periods are increasingly being used for IB coursework, revision, standardized testing preparation, university applications, and university entrance or placement examinations. These responsibilities require substantial amounts of independent, focused work.

For many students, home provides a significantly more productive environment for this type of work. Allowing students to study at home during their free periods would therefore not mean reducing the amount of time students spend working. Instead, it would allow us to use the additional independent time created by the new schedule more effectively.

We are therefore requesting a structured off-campus study privilege for responsible DP students. This could require:

• Parental/guardian permission.
• Students to have no scheduled class, meeting, activity, or other school commitment during the period.
• Students to sign out and sign back in according to a school-approved procedure.
• Students to maintain appropriate attendance and academic standing.
• Students to remain fully responsible for their academic obligations while off campus.

Students who prefer to remain on campus would, of course, continue to have access to the school's existing study spaces.

We believe this policy would provide students with greater flexibility while maintaining accountability. The goal is not to avoid school or reduce our workload, but to ensure that the additional independent time created by the new nine-day rotation can actually be used for meaningful academic work.

We respectfully ask the administration to consider implementing this as a trial policy for DP students and evaluating its effectiveness based on attendance, academic responsibility, and student feedback.

We are not asking for less time dedicated to our education. We are asking for the flexibility to make better use of the time we have been given.