DUBAI - Nine private charity schools in Dubai, located on government land, will be exempted from any land rent increases for the next one year if they do not increase their tuition fees in the next academic year.
Al Farooq Pakistani Islamic School, Al Ameen Private School, Al Thuraya Private School, Crescent English School, Grammar School, Buds Public School, Al Majd English School, Al Sadiq Islamic English School and The Elite English School will have their land rents frozen for one year in exchange for not raising their tuition fees for 2008-09.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Dubai Real Estate Corporation (DREC) have identified these community-centred or charity schools based on the criteria that their commitment to education in Dubai has been there for more than five years, their annual school fees are Dh5,000 or less on an average and they are located in a lower-income area of Dubai.
Also, a land rent increase could exceed the school’s budgetary capacity whereby they would be forced to close or effect an increase in the fee structure, which could make it difficult for parents.
The DREC has agreed that if the KHDA certifies that the schools have indeed not raised their fees, the DREC will not raise the schools’ rent.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of KHDA, said, “We wanted to protect the pupils in these schools who would have been affected by land rent increases. By working closely with our partners in the Dubai Real Estate Corporation, we have been able to establish a set of criteria that ensures that the few long-standing institutions are not affected adversely. We are particularly appreciative of DREC’s collaboration with us and their support.”
Officials have indicated that more schools could be added to this list in the course of the next academic year, depending on their capacity.