Schools can't hike fees unnecessarily

The recent announcement by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) that requests for school fee increases will not be entertained for the 2010-2011 academic year is a welcome step. It is the right decision given the current economic environment. Parents can do without the burden of extra costs.

According to the KHDA, eight Asian schools have been denied permission to increase their fees. This was because prices have dropped, inflation has eased and other indicators did not justify the schools' request. "KHDA wants school owners to think again: How can you justify a fee increase in these times? This is a shared responsibility and we are asking school owners to play their part," the KHDA said. The most important issue here is that the KHDA has made it clear that schools will not be allowed to increase their fees unnecessarily.