DUBAI — Several international schools continue to collect term fees much in advance despite the education authorities clearly frowning upon the practice. Parents allege this is a phenomenon unique to the schools in the UAE and have urged authorities to monitor the schools regularly.
Parents claim many schools demand fees upfront, sometimes at the beginning of the year or six months in advance. This, they say, is extremely taxing. “Every time before the new academic year begins, I have to pay term fees at least six months in advance for my ward,” said a parent of a student of a school in Dubai. “The school says this is the way I can secure my child’s seat for the next year. Why should I secure a seat when my child is already studying in the school?” demanded the parent.
K.A., parent of another student of the same school, said, “It is difficult to pay the fees so early, especially when you have more than one child studying in the school. Even though there is a ruling by the Ministry of Education (MoE) forbidding the practice, the schools seem to have no compunction in flouting it. The authorities should monitor schools regularly so that we are not taxed in this manner.”
Terming this as an arm-twisting tactic by the school, she said, “We may lose our ward’s seat and may have to reapply if we do not pay by March for the academic year starting in September. Getting re-admitted is subject to availability which is unacceptable.”
M.K., the parent of a student of another school in Dubai, said he had to pay the entire year’s fees for his elder daughter and in two instalments for his second child. “Earlier, we could pay the fee every month. It was then gradually changed to three months. Now, we are forced to pay for six months in advance and an entire academic year’s fee in the beginning. It is extremely difficult,” he said.
He also recalled how the school had turned a deaf ear to the recent pleas by a mother of four children to allow her to pay the fees in instalments. According to the parent, the school collects fees once in January and once in August.
An administrator from one of the Dubai schools, who did not want to be named, told Khaleej Times, “We do not force anyone to pay in advance. We follow the Ministry of Education’s rules and if the parents want to pay early, they are welcome. They also have the choice to pay in September. The earlier they pay, the better for them to ensure the seats (for their wards). The bottomline is we do not force anyone and we do have a waiting list in place and parents have to rely on our integrity.”
An official from another Dubai school, who did not want to be named, said the school collected fees only before a term. “We never collect fees in advance. Our fee structure is affordable and many parents do not pay despite sending several notices,” she said. However, when asked if fees were collected upfront for higher classes, she declined to comment.
Parents say schools are holding them to ransom with unreasonable demands. “Why cannot education authorities penalise schools? It is not that they pay the teachers salaries upfront with the fees they collect from us,” said A.M., a parent of a student of another international school.
The MoE stipulates that the school fees should be collected at the beginning of each semester or every month. It states that parents may delay the payments of the fees for a maximum of one month — be the collection of fees on a semester or monthly basis. “The schools are not allowed to force parents to pay the fees for an entire year in advance,” states the ruling.
Also, “only the admission or registration fee may be collected before the beginning of the academic year, provided it should be deducted later from the approved school fees and such fees should not be more than 5 per cent of the school fees and with a maximum of Dh500. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority that monitors schools in the emirate also takes the same stand.
A KHDA official said, “In case, after investigation, the charges were found to be true, the authority shall serve a warning to the school by a registered letter with a delivery note, asking the school to remove such violation within 15 days from the date of the notice. If the school does not eliminate the violation, the authority shall, by written notice, impose a fine.”
The official added that if the school does not settle the fee dispute or pay the prescribed fine, persists in its violation or if it commits the violation again, the authority shall issue an order placing the school under the authority’s supervision. Also, parents could approach the body to lodge an official complaint against the school.
However, parents said it was the authority’s role to scrutinise schools regularly to ensure they do not violate the norms.
By Preeti Kannan and Suzan Saleem (Our staff reporters)