Private schools in Saudi Arabia to set fees a year in advance
Ban on fee increases during the academic year
Cairo: Private schools in Saudi Arabia are obligated to set their fees one year before the academic year when they take effect according to new regulations, a Saudi newspaper has reported.
These schools are required to register their respective fees and implementation schedules one year before the academic year on a portal linked to the Ministry of Education, Okaz added. Any ensuing amendment will be invalid.
According to the regulations, endorsed by Saudi Education Minister Youssef Al Benyan, it will be illegal to increase school fees during the academic year.
For its part, the Ministry of Education will post on its website a list of school fees. The list will act as a reference in case any dispute arises.
The Ministry of Education will form a committee tasked with revising regulations for the fees charged by the private schools.
The panel will be tasked with checking private schools’ commitment to fee registration and reviewing related regulations every two years for potential amendments in line with common good, the report said.
Private schools will also be committed to notifying parents of any change to fees at least one year before the onset of the academic year.
The envisaged committee will present an annual report to the minister featuring the yearly change in school fees, justifications for this change and recommendations to tackle the situation.
The panel has to meet and take decisions by majority of votes.