DUBAI A Dubai school has come under fire from parents who are being asked to buy an educational tablet costing over Dh2,000 for their children.
The Indian High School (IHS) reportedly sent out circulars to parents at the start of the year advising them to book the Dh1,895 Intel Educational Tablet before the 32GB Windows 8.1 device runs out of stock.
They were also asked to pay an optional Dh80 for insurance coverage against damage, Dh210 for extended warranty and a keyboard (Dh100 for keyboard only or Dh190 for extended warranty only).
However, parents say that even though it hasn’t been made mandatory, they have been coaxed by class and subject teachers of their children to buy the gadget for the new academic session that started this month. “It’s a soft power they are applying. We were told if we don’t buy the specific device from the school for our kids then they may struggle to keep pace with others. We were also told that there will be five marks for non-written components using the tablet,” said a mum of a third grader.
Most parents XPRESS spoke to thought they were paying an exorbitant price for a tablet.
“Now all this comes to over Dh2,000 per device and to buy one for each of my two children works out to be an amount I’m not quite prepared to pay at such a short notice,” said a father of two boys of the school rated outstanding by KHDA’s Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) last year.
“They haven’t quite forced it down our throats, but the fact that they have categorically told us that tablets of any other kind are not allowed and that they are going ahead with the plan in the new session for those who are interested, is like extortion. It kind of leaves us with no option but to follow the rest and buy the device that appears unnecessarily expensive,” said another parent who didn’t want to be named.
Ratheesh (name changed on request), who recently bought a 64GB iPad Air 2 for Dh1,899 for his third grade son, also felt the tablet’s price quoted by the school was ‘out-of-place’.
“We just spent a great deal on a brand which is not just among the best in the market but also slightly cheaper than the tablet recommended by the school. It’s unfair to be told that my child can’t use this in school. Now I will have to spend the same amount all over again for a tablet specified by them,” he said.
No issues
However, not every parent saw price as a problem. “It’s a great device that’s capable of performing many classroom experiments and come loaded with various software packages. So there’s definitely a cost to it and the furore over its price is misplaced. The school has one of the lowest fee structures in the emirate and parents will be disgruntled no matter,” said the mum of a seventh grader.
The reference design of the customised tablet that weighs just over 680g and has a five-point touch 10-inch active touchscreen was first revealed by Intel at an education technology show in London last year.
Mohammed Darwish, chief of Regulations and Compliance Commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said: “Tablets are valuable educational tools that enrich students’ learning experiences. If listed as an optional fee, parents then have the choice to obtain all educational resources from a source of their choice.”
A comment from the school was not immediately available.
