UAE | Education

UAE schools allowed to hike fees by 30%

More than 50,000 pupils from private schools in Dubai expected to be affected by increase in school fees.

  • By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:14 July 5, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Schoolgirls taking a break from their studies. The rise in the cost of living and an increase in teaching salaries are some of the reasons cited by the ministry for its revised fee hike limit. This picture is for illustrative purposes only.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: Fee hikes in some private schools across the UAE could witness increases of up to 30 per cent in the next academic year, revising a decades old education ministerial decree which previously had a limit of a 20 per cent hike over a period of three academic years.

The education ministry confirmed on Saturday in a statement that with this amended decree they had resolved the ongoing dispute between parents and private schools on setting fee hikes.

"Parents have the right to get quality education on a par with international standards," said Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of the Ministry of Education (MoE). The newly set fee hikes ranges between five and 30 per cent which would be determined in accordance with previous fee hikes in each private school.

The education ministry said it issued the decree while taking into consideration the rise in the cost of living, teachers' salaries, modern equipment and the introduction of the latest technology in education as well as the overall standards provided in schools.

However, Dr Hassan said that since the newly structured ministry is operating with a new agenda of decentralising the power of decision-making, education councils and authorities have the right to set their own rules on fee hikes.

On this note, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) set its own fee hikes for Dubai schools since last year limiting fee hikes up to 16 per cent for two academic years.

The KHDA clarified that schools which had not opted for a 16 per cent full fee hike last year could do so this year, provided they do not exceed the fee ceiling.

This figure includes all mandatory costs levied on parents, including transport, books, uniforms and food.

Eligible

However, a few schools are exempt from the policy, such as those undergoing renovation or relocating.

Two-thirds of the total private schools in Dubai, with 97,525 pupils, will not be able to impose any increase for 2008-2009, because they raised their fees by 16 per cent last year. However, the remaining 31 per cent of Dubai schools, with around 55,475 pupils are eligible to increase their fees.

The KHDA earlier said the status of all private schools will be reviewed each year. The KHDA also recently began consultation with schools, parents, employers and representatives from higher education on the development of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, which will provide transparent and reliable assessment of education in all Dubai schools.

Increase in fees

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, said fee hikes for schools, which applied an increase last academic year (2007-2008), should be between five and 10 per cent.

In case, the school did not increase fees for two consecutive academic years, then the increase should be 10 to 20 per cent and if there has been no increase for three years, the hike can range between 20 and 30 per cent. The decree also includes that exemption for certain schools will be at the discretion of the minister.

'Money-making business'

Maria Thomas, a mother-of-two children attending a private school in Sharjah said as parents they understood the need to increase fees as teachers' salaries and land rent demanded this as well as delivering quality education.

However, "in reality we still find teachers on very low incomes and schools, in most cases, do not improve or deliver their promised standards of education."

"I don't trust the management of private schools here as they always work hard to find loopholes in the system. It is a money- making business that should be very closely monitored," said Ahmad Badri, a father of three pupils attending a school in Ajman.

A.S. who has two children studying in Dubai, said ministry officials and school authorities continuously use "vague terms" when justifying fee increases adding "what do they mean when saying quality education and international standards? What are their criteria in measuring and evaluating these schools?"


How do you think this would impact people's budget? Does the quality of education being offered match the hike? Will this make them look at sending their children home for their education? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.


Your comments


School fees keep going up, but what about teachers salaries? They dont seem to increase at all? Shouldnt there be a law forcing schools to increase teacher?s salaries if they increase school fees?
Syed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 10:49

Of-course, it will affect people's budget! By increasing the School Fee will not improve the quality of education, because the same teachers are teaching and the school is not providing any additional facilities to improve the quality of teaching, so how the quality can improve by increasing the school fee! With the current day-to-day increase in all commodities, it is very difficult to survive and now the right time to think about sending the children back to home country, because my 3 sons are studying here.
Joseph.P.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 07:50

The expatriates are suffering a lot. The House Rent Hike, Visit Visa fees Hike and the tremendous Hike of essential commodities. The U.A.E Gold Market and the Shopping centers commodities rates are very High taking into other countries. The Visit Visa fee is also increasing tremendously i.e. ten times for two months. If the U.A.E. dreaming likes this, the result will be flopped and may come to the parallel to EGYPT etc.
Mohammed
Mumbai,India
Posted: July 06, 2008, 06:48

Getting education is not the same as it was before. Its just money making business in every part of the world to make your child educated you need to pay hefty amounts which is not possible by everyone ... 100% money making business
Sajid
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 05:19

The Ministry allowing increase of fees, but not amending teachers salary, because almost teachers are getting very low salary. The schools not increasing teacher's salary according to student's fees increment.
Radha
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 05:16

I have 3 children studying in Dubai. It is just to keep them with me they are here. Otherwise I will never give them education here. Make a survey of the students, the quality of education they get. Modern Equipments, Yes, here in UAE student cannot survive without an internet connected computer. Because the teachers ask the students to get all pictures and information from the internet only
Noble
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 04:07

Its clear message that time has come to leave Dubai. It?s no longer a place to save money. Dubai, a city with many problems like RTA and Traffic, high living cost, no human rights, I am packing up and leaving this year.
Sajid
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 06, 2008, 01:09

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