UAE | Education
90% hike in school fees leaves parents perplexed
A recent fee hike of 90 per cent has left parents of Dubai Modern High School scholars anguished, frustrated, and confused. The hike, planned over the next two academic years, is being described as "unjustifiable."
- By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:25 January 27, 2009
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- Dubai Modern High School in the Al Safa area is implementing a 90% fee hike, to be spread over two years, causing many parents to consider withdrawing their children.
Dubai: A recent fee hike of 90 per cent has left parents of Dubai Modern High School scholars anguished, frustrated, and confused. The hike, planned over the next two academic years, is being described as "unjustifiable."
Gulf News received several letters and calls from parents every 10 minutes describing their situation in light of the current global financial crisis. Parents asked educational authorities to take their plight into consideration.
The fee increase affects around 2,300 students at the school, which is now relocating from its Jumeirah premises to Nad Al Shiba where it will occupy a plot five times its current campus size.
"The circular sent by the school doesn't clarify what we are getting in return for this unjustifiable and significant fee hike. I don't want bigger classrooms and many swimming pools. I want to know that my son's education will provide him a seat at a reputed university," said a father.
Almost all parents said they were unable to afford the new fee structure and were considering either transferring their children to other schools or sending them back to India. They have little hope their concerns will be addressed by the school's management or by the Global Education Management Systems which runs over 20 schools in the country, including Dubai Modern High (DMHS).
Parents claim the school has a lack of extracurricular activities, a severe dependenc on home tutoring after school, and continuous fee hikes without clarification of what parents and children are getting in return.
According to GEMS: "Last year, we absorbed a 190 per cent increase in the rental cost without increasing the fees, [but had a 16 per cent increase in April 2007]. Now we have been asked to vacate the land by April 2009 [the beginning of the next academic year]."
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) approved the fee hike last year on the condition the school did not raise their fees for three years.
Darryl Bloud, Principal of the school, said he is open to address their concerns and offer alternative options at other GEMS schools with a priority given to boarding students.
Your comments
Schools have put the parents in a difficult situation. The school should really consider it.
Noureen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 15:49
I am shocked to hear about the hike, I suggest that everybody should change the school or to send back their children to their home countries.
Fathima
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 15:35
At this level of fees we can easily shift our children to best schools of Delhi, which have excellent track records in education.
Zia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 15:16
Just like authorities have set a rent cap, I think they should set a cap on school fees.
C P Vinod
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 14:55
After paying rent and school fees, what are parents left with?
Divya
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 14:27
I am also a concerned parent and with the way the school has shown complete lack of empathy with the parents is really shocking. Under the pretense of better amenities you cannot compromise on education, and as rightly said by another parent, having a squash court is not going to assure my child's future. Only request to the concerned authorities is to make a reasonable hike taking into consideration the parents as apart from this hike they will also increase bus fees and other expenses. The school should hold a parents meeting and then get the real feel of the hurt the parents face. And helping with students to be transferred to other schools is not a option but only goes to show a pompous attitude of a callous management.
Shamla
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 14:06
For this much fees we can give our child a high class education in India. Shifting to India is the best option for us.
P. Feroze Ahmad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 12:55
It is a great concern for those parents who are having more than two children. Anyhow, I hope the authorities take serious action for this fee increase.
Mazhar
Lahore,Pakistan
Posted: January 28, 2009, 12:53
All parents must give a lesson for such schools by transferring their children to an affordable school. This way the total count should go down and hopefully go back to their old fees.
Abdul
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 28, 2009, 12:26
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