Dubai: Private education in Dubai has become a hotbed of issues in the recent past with school tuition fee increases fuelling a crisis even at the government level.
Upsetting the fragile balance of power between the Federal Ministry of Education and the local education regulatory body, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), is a powerful group of private schools that is lobbying against policies which apparently rein in their profits.
Some schools increased their fees after the start of the academic year in April, following a Ministry of Education directive that had overruled the KHDA's decision that fees should be frozen.
As the sole government body to license, regulate and control schools in Dubai, the KHDA said it was difficult to implement the ministry's decision, indicating that the federal body could not impose its decisions locally.
However, the Ministry of Education maintains that as education was governed by the federal government, the ministry had the final say.
Discussions
Gulf News has learnt that discussions are under way to resolve the tug of war between the two government bodies, which was putting the parents in a tight spot.
Minister of Education Humaid Al Qutami told Gulf News it would soon be clear who had power to do what and in which areas, when asked where the jurisdiction of the ministry began and ended with schools in Dubai.
On the other hand, KHDA's Chief of Regulations and Compliance Commission, Mohammad Darwish, said they are currently discussing with the Ministry of Education about the most appropriate way to implement its decision.
Darwish said this would be "a way that looks at the needs of all parties involved [the parents and the school owners]".
"Knowledge and Human Development Authority believes the [Ministry of Education] decision is an unbudgeted expense for families and will be difficult to implement as it comes after the current academic year has begun," Darwish said. "Discussions with the Ministry of Education for the same are currently under way."
On the question of who has supremacy over Dubai schools, Maisa Gadir, a Federal National Council Member said the Ministry of Education was only a coordinating body in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi emirates.
"According to article five of the Decree number 30 issued in 2006, under which KHDA is formed, it is the sole authority to license, regulate and control schools in Dubai," Gadir said. Gadir said if there was conflict between the bodies, the local authority had the final say.
Even as the impasse continues, Gulf News has learnt that several thousand parents have paid the higher fees in schools such as Our Own English High School, Millennium School and Kindergarten Starters.
One parent, Joseph, who didn't want his last name published, said: "What can we do when the school issues a circular stating that they have permission to increase the fees?"
"I have my two children going to the Our Own English High School in Dubai and the 15 per cent increase is a huge burden on our family budget," Joseph said.
The KHDA announced a fee freeze in March this year.
The tug of war began when the Ministry of Education exercised its federal authority and gave at least five GEMS schools the go ahead to raise fees by up to 15 per cent.
Al Qutami told Gulf News on May 13 that the Ministry considered requests from schools on an individual basis and approved increases within the Federal parameters.
Al Qutami added: "Federal law allowing schools an increase of up to 30 per cent was applied all over the UAE. Dubai is no exception.
"We want to support the private sector and encourage investment in the education sector," he said.
When GEMS said it would raise fees from June, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority said "no school in Dubai can change its fee structure unless KHDA confirms this to the respective school in writing".
