Children to pay the price of fee hike

Dubai: The fear of changing schools, saying goodbyes and having to sign farewell cards to their best friends who will be moving to India as a result of the 90 per cent fee hike has cast gloom over the otherwise stress free and happy school life of the pupils of Dubai Modern High School (DMHS).

While the parents committee is battling it out with GEMS (Global Education Management Systems) on the fee hike, at home they have to calm their children who are against moving schools and losing their circle of friends.

For them, they just want a school with teachers to guide them to grow up to be responsible and educated citizens, and not face the possibility of being plucked from the environment to which they have bonded emotionally.

All the pupils who spoke to Gulf News said they were happy attending school and have never demanded a bigger school.

"Nobody asked us what we want. We are the ones who are affected in their whole fee hike business. Be it at home or at school, all we talk about is the fee hike and the fear of moving schools and starting all over again. If you want to move us to bigger school premises why hike the fees?" a Grade 8 pupil who has been studying in the school for the last five years said.

The insecurity among the pupils can well be guessed by the fact that a Grade 2 pupil is unable to digest the possibility of changing schools.

She told Gulf News: "I told my papa that I want to continue at the school. I have a lot of friends and I like my school. I want to be with my friends."

Another 13-year-old pupil said he is yet to come to terms that his best friend is moving to India permanently because of the fee hike.

He said: "I joined DMHS a couple of years back. It took me awhile to settle down and now I am just not ready to move and undergo the exercise all over again."

He said it was hinted to him by his parents that if they were unable to cope with the fee hike he might have to move schools.

"I was so insecure about it and I am hoping that they will not need to take that step. My parents told me that maybe next term I will need to change schools. But if they do, then you cannot do anything about it."

"All my friends at school are going through the same scenario at home... Even my best friend plans to go to India."