WE'RE_SORRY KIDS

ANY HOPE of a day out at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for families whose children attend some of the kingdom's leading private schools now rests with a Royal Decree announcing April 6 as a public holiday.

Pleas by race officials and parents to allow families to attend 'Our Race' have fallen on deaf ears. The schools say their term times were set before the calendar of Formula One races was announced and they are unwilling to change them now.

Furious parents are faced with disappointing their children on the biggest day of Bahrain's sporting calendar or risk facing the wrath of some school authorities by taking their children out of school for the day of the race.

Disappointed Italian mother, Montana Campana, from Saar, who describes her family as 'F1 crazy' and firm supporters of Ferrari, said: "It's great to go to the race in Bahrain as it's just a half-an-hour drive away to the circuit. My brother is coming to Bahrain on the week of the race. Last year my parents and other family members were all here too.

"This year we are highly disappointed that schools are reopening on the day of the race. My children, Mathew who's in Year 5 at St Christopher's School and Daniel, who is in Year 1 at the British School of Bahrain, will have to go to school.

"They love cheering on Ferrari - wearing the flaming red T-shirts and BIC caps. Last year they really enjoyed the concerts, fire shows, trying out the F1 cars and most importantly, wearing Ferrari colours."

Another parent, who asked not to be named, said: "We have been here just six-months and this will be our first Grand Prix. We have never been to an F1 race before. My husband loves cars and we always wanted to go to Monte Carlo but never actually made it.

"We have friends coming from overseas for just that week and we want to experience the excitement of the races with our children. It's a shame that the school term will re-open on April 6. Many of my friends with children who had planned to go to the F1 are all pretty devastated.

"We are planning to write an appealing letter to the school requesting them to allow my children to have the day off school. With my friends coming over from England for the event, I am sure it would be a fabulous family day out and we will be disappointed if we are forced to go without our children."

The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is promoted as a family event and recent advertising on the morning show on Radio Bahrain and Voice FM_features a young boy pretending to be a race commentator as his dad walks into his bedroom. A voice then comes on air and says: "Make his dreams come true".

Parents have told GulfWeekly that their children have been sobbing in their cars on the school run when they have been told that they cannot go to the F1 race because of the date clash.