Parents, educators welcome freeze on Dubai private school fee hike

Dubai: Parents and schools have welcomed the Tuesday’s announcement by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to freeze fees for the next academic year.

According to KHDA, there will be no increase in school fees at private schools in Dubai for the next academic year 2022-2023, which starts in September for most schools.

American father Tom Koenig, whose second child Margot attends French school Le Lycee Français International de l’Aflec, said the news could not have come at a better time. “My wife and I have no jobs. We sold property back home in the USA in order to maintain the privilege to stay in the UAE and benefit from the good schools here. So Kudos to KHDA for thinking about the situation of parents. A lot of us have been feeling the pinch of what is going on in the world. The last thing we would have wanted was a school fee hike. Many are facing the tipping point in their lives and this news comes as a huge relief,” added Koenig.

Pakistani mother Almas Abdul Ghaffar, 54, said: “It goes to show that KHDA is taking into the consideration of parents, many of whom have lived here for long in the UAE. Unfortunately the pandemic put a lot of stress on everyone. Some families have struggled to survive due to the financial constraints. So this [decision on fees] goes a long way forward.”

Indian mother Mahima Mehra, whose daughters Manya, 18, and Misha, 12, study at Jumeirah College, said: “The last two years has been tough financially and emotionally for everyone. This is a great news after long time. It is great that we are being considered.”

Mehra pays Dh90,000 per year for her older child in Year 13 and Dh77,000 per year for her younger daughter in Year 7.

KHDA’s decision to freeze private school fees is based on the approved Education Cost Index (ECI) issued by the Dubai Statistics Center, and private schools have been officially notified of the index. ECI, which measures annual changes in the costs of running a school, including salaries, rent and utilities, has been set at -1.01 per cent this year.

The ECI and the Fee Framework were developed in collaboration with Dubai Government entities, including Dubai Statistics Centre, Department of Economic Development, and Dubai Chamber of Commerce, among others.

Enrolment at Dubai’s private schools increased by 5.8 per cent per cent since February 2021. Dubai has witnessed the opening of around 21 new schools over the past three years, taking the total number of schools to 215 private schools.

A GEMS Education spokesperson said: “Apart from the exceptional fee increases, private schools in Dubai have not raised fees for the past two years in line with the ECI and KHDA directives. The latest announcement for next academic year has been well noted by GEMS Education, and we are now working through its implications for the running of our schools in the emirate. Regardless of such directives, GEMS families can be sure that they are receiving the best and highest quality education possible – and this remains our first and foremost priority.”

Vasu said: “The learning community across the world has perhaps been most affected by the pandemic and the effects thereafter. The move to maintain status quo on tuition fees across private for profit schools in Dubai will provide financial relief to parents who have been greatly impacted.”

In select cases, despite the general freeze on fees, certain eligible schools can be granted an exceptional permission by KHDA to increase fees by a set amount. The exception is based on clear eligibility criteria as outlined in KHDA’s exceptional fee framework guidelines.