Schools deliver another price shock to parents

Dubai: A private education provider will outsource its school bus services for nine of its schools beginning June 1 as part of cost cutting measures.

Global Education Management Systems (GEMS) which operates 26 schools across the country catering to the American, Indian and the National Curriculum of England has decided to outsource school bus services in Dubai to an external provider.

The schools are Kindergarten Starters, Millennium, Our Own Indian School, Our Own English School, Our Own English High School, Modern High School, Westminster School, Winchester School the Cambridge School.

GEMS said it had no option but to take this step to counter rising costs.

"As of now it will only affect a few schools in Dubai," said Monica Harter, Corporate and Communications Director at GEMS.

"But I would like to assure all parents who opt to avail themselves of the bus service that if we have selected a provider our core criteria will be the safety of our pupils," she said.

Our Own High School issued a circular to parents saying: "In the absence of approval from regulatory authorities we have been unable to increase the transport fees to realistically reflect the true operating cost. Fuel costs alone have risen over 300 per cent over the past four years. Our bus service has been provided for as low as Dh1,300 per annum comparative to external providers which range from Dh5,000-Dh8,000." GEMS said pupils who have paid transport fees in advance will have the amount adjusted against school fees.

Parents said they would want the management to make certain things clear such as the new transport fees and who will take responsibility for the pupils in the buses.

Roshni, whose son attends grade nine in Modern High School, said that her main concern was whether the school will wash its hands off the safety of their pupils on school buses.

GEMS school: Power of numbers

What the school has done is not in the welfare of the students. The GEMS owner is also an expat and he should consider the financial crises facing by the expats here.
Varghese
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 14:05

Such a drastic step of outsourcing the school transportation should be informed well advance, so that parents would have had a choice to select the school considering the safety of the kids.
Nizam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 14:04

Increased costs of running the school? I wonder if the management of GEMS would consider taking a pay cut so that the costs of running the school can be reduced. I very much doubt it would even occur to them. Instead, they raise the price of the costs paid by parents, thus effectively reducing the income of each parent whose child attends a GEMS school.
A.
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 13:41

Is this the way the schools teach the children: money, money, and ... money?
Bam
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 13:38

In all these justifications, who takes the responsibility if something happens to the child? The school should realise it's the second home of the child, and should not shun away from its responsibility. I hope they realise it before it's too late.
Joseph
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:43

My daughter is in Our Own Indian School and I also shocked to see such a circular of staying away from responsibilities. The school repeatedly says in the circular that the transport is "optional", but how can we consider the safety of our children as "optional"? Had they informed us before starting the educational year, we could have tried other schools. At least they should have the courtesy to inform the parents in advance before taking such a crucial decision.
J.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:42

I am also a parent of a child who goes to Millennium School. Schools are just finding ways to increase school fees indirectly, because the ministry does not allow a direct increase beyond a certain percentage. At the time of admission in February 2008, we were informed that school fees were increased last year so there would not be any increase this year. We just received a notice informing us that fees would be increased shortly and now there is this increase of bus fees. It's ridiculous. These things should be disclosed before admissions, not later.
Jagdish
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:40

This measure is completely unfair, as parents feel very secure sending their kids through buses. This measure will further toughen the life of expatriates as they will have to worry about the security and expense of other alternatives. I completely disagree with this step.
Mehwish
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:29

We read the comments under the title of "Schools deliver another price shock to parents" which is merely nonsense , because the school wants the Ministry of Education to remove the slab of a freeze in school fees. The schools want to mint lot of money from the poor people who are already facing financial constraints. As far as what we have understood is that the school fees for New Indian Model School, Gulf Indian School, Indian High School, Gulf Model School, Central School, Grammar School are three or four times less than what we are paying to GEMS. I feel that the level of education in any of these schools is not bad because I am an ex-student from one of the school mentioned above. From this it is clearly understood that GEMS is working not for the society but only a profit making organisation. So all parents should proudly complain to the Ministry of Education that as such GEMS school fees are on a higher level, they should not withdraw bus facility for the students. Please understand the situation and all parents should react against this matter.
Annie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:22

I hope the management will also outsource the faculty in the future as a cost cutting measure. We don't know where all these measures are taking the helpless parents and students.
Rohit
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:09

The Ministry of Education and regulatory authorities should take proper action against those schools who are going against the law implemented by the respective government department. Parents are already under pressure and this is another shock to all the parents.
Rishik
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:07

It?s true that operational costs are increasing. But the school management has a moral responsibility about the safety of the children before they take this crucial decision. The time they selected to implement this itself further underlines the irresponsibility and cheating attitude of GEMS.
Yohannan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:07

My kids are studying in OOEHS, Sharjah. Even for a very short distance we pay a minimum of Dh120 per child per month, as we can't leave them in the schools, which start at different times. The increase in the transportation costs is really a big shock, as two years back only the school increased their fees. I request the management to re-consider the decision.
Ranjani
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:07

My son studies in KG2. I received the circular yesterday and I was totally shocked. Do these school realise most of the parents in the UAE are working parents and how can they state that providing transport is not compulsory? I guess the safety of the child should be the main criteria. I cannot understand why they cannot increase transport fees if the costs have actually gone up. I think parents would be more comfortable paying a increase fee than relying on outsourcing transport.
Cynthia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:03

What the school has done is not in the welfare of the students. It should have considered any hike before the start of the new term. This would have allowed parents to look at other options and plan better. Also by stating that from June 1 they would not provide the school transportation, they are putting the children at high risk during the examination season. Whatever changes the school wanted should have been considered for the next term and not for the current one.
Roy
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 09:01

Outsourcing of school bus transport cannot be justified merely by comparing the costs. It is primarily a matter of pupils? safety. My two children study in Our Own School, Sharjah. One of the main reasons for selecting this school was that they have a very good transport system. If it is outsourced, then I would seriously consider transferring my children to another school.
Alauddin
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 08:55

The cost of fuel has not gone up by 300 per cent in the last three years as claimed by the school. I am surprised that the reporter did not question this blatant lie.
Ken
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 08:54

Congratulations to the GEMS team! They have managed to 'legally' outsmart the Regulatory Authorities. The question on every parent's mind is: 'Will the concerned Regulatory Authority rise up to the challenge?'
Don
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 08:53

This is an indirect increase in the school fees. The external transport provider will be a subsidiary of the GEMS or a new entity (for the sake of escaping from the fees cap) so that they can charge whatever they wish. Even with the current transportation fees the schools are not losing any money. Will they disclose the details of bus operating expenses so that we can have discussion to share the cost among parents? But if their intention is only to make money, then there is no option.
Hashim
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 08:48

My child is a 1st standard student of Millennium School. We as parents are concerned about the outsourcing of school buses for several reasons: the responsibility of the child after she boards the bus from home, cleanliness/hygiene of the bus. I personally feel there should be some school attendant known to the child on the bus in case he or she falls asleep on the way home.
Jennifer
Dubai, UAE,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 08:22

It's absolutely not fair in the part of GEMS to outsource the bus service. We all know that there is a fuel price increase and in operating costs, but it doesn't mean that the school should stop providing the transportation. Definitely it is the responsibility of the school to provide transportation to its pupils, they cannot wash their hands of it. The school shall reconsider this decision, which affects the quite lot of children and parents, and is also unethical to any education providers.
Asha
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 07:41

A similar letter was given to us a few days back, stating their inability to teach with present teachers as the school fees could not be increased. Maybe GEMS should close their school BUSINESS and pack off to where they came from OR we pack off.
Rajkumar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 23, 2008, 06:57