All expatriates whose children attend school in the UAE have to pay for the privilege, and a wide variety of schools offer education at very different levels with different syllabuses. Some of the schools are non-profit trusts, and a majority of the schools are profit-making. Two years ago, Dubai's new Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) started a badly needed inspection system for the whole sector, and it has linked permission to raise fees to achieving high standards.
This is the right way to go. The inspection regime is still new, and the schools and the inspectors need to work together in each syllabus to make the inspection regime work to its best effect, mutually agreeing on their expectations. Such an optimisation process is normal, and is certainly not an indication of a fundamental flaw. Similarly, fees should be linked to performance. The under-supply of school places means that parents cannot shop around that much, and fees charged need to be transparent and fair.
