As UAE’s schools start the new academic year, parents will want to be sure that the steadily increasing fees being charged by many schools are worth it. Parents are willing to make substantial sacrifices to see their children through good education, and it is important that this willingness to pay is not abused. It is important for the management of schools to give the parent body a clear and honest accounting of where their fees have been spent. Most parents will not mind if the money goes on attracting and keeping the best teachers possible for their children, but they will have a justified grievance if the fees support an increased profit margin for the investors in the school.
As soaring rentals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai drive up the cost of living, parents are under permanent pressure, but so are the teachers who also need to find quality accommodation. It is important that full transparency reassures parents that school managements are making the right decisions, which requires good communication between all stakeholders: staff, management, parents and the government oversight body, not forgetting pupils themselves!
