Parent-school contracts in Dubai no longer an annual affair

Dubai: Parents in Dubai, where a Parent-School Contract is mandatory, are no longer required to sign the contract annually, Gulf News has learnt.

In an email to parents recently, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which governs education in Dubai, said it had made the signing process easier, based on feedback from parents and schools.

“Starting this year, if your child is continuing at the same school, you will not be required to sign the parent-school contract annually. Your contract with the school will continue to remain valid while your child is enrolled at the same school. A new contract shall be issued and signed by the parent only if your child’s school is changed,” the communication from KHDA said.

In Dubai, parents and schools have to commit to the contract, which outlines various rights and responsibilities of both parties, such as attendance and fees. Before the changes, parents had to sign the contract electronically online every year. Initially, they had to visit schools to sign the contract.

Now, the practice of signing the contract annually has been done away with, as part of the changes to the contract.

The KHDA also notes that any update to the contract must be reviewed by the parents, who have to raise any concern with their school before the deadline. Beyond the deadline, the changes will be deemed to have been accepted by the parent. It was not immediately clear if the deadline varies from school to school or if there is a universal deadline for all schools.

Pointing out other changes, the KHDA said that “optional fees will no longer be covered as part of the parent-school contract. All optional fees should be communicated and mutually agreed with school separately.”

Optional fees are separate from tuition fees; they could refer to services by third-parties, such as school transport provided by an outsourced company.

Last September, Gulf News reported that schools should not select suppliers that charge parents steeply for transport, uniforms, books and other non-tuition services, according to the director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy.