Dubai/Abu Dhabi: In the wake of new fee hikes at private schools, many parents feel they are being ripped off as they feel the increase in tuition fees is not proportional to the standards of education offered.
The new amendment by the Ministry of Education to increase fees up to 30 per cent aims to raise the standards of education in private schools and provide pupils with quality education, said Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, in a media statement.
Earlier schools were allowed to raise fees by a maximum of 20 per cent over a period of three years.
According to the Ministry of Education, the amended fee hikes range between 5 and 30 per cent, which would be determined in accordance with previous fee hikes at each private school.
The hike for schools that increased fees in the last academic year would be between 5 and 10 per cent. In case the school did not increase fees for two consecutive years, the increase would be between 10 and 20 per cent and 30 per cent if there was no increase for three years.
"On what basis is a 30 per cent increase allowed? I have been paying off the increases without witnessing any changes in my daughter's school. Sporting facilities are still poor and in many cases the bathroom is not cleaned. On a number of occasions my child was asked to get materials for a subject, which should be provided by the school," said Saliha Amjad, a parent.
Teachers are less motivated to teach in schools as their salaries are way beyond the living expenses of Dubai, said Amjad, adding "it is the lowest paying job in this country".
"Why did the ministry amend fees but not minimum wages for teachers? It is despicable that it is still Dh2,000," she said.
To Abrar Masoud the issue is not paying high tuition fees, but during the academic year parents are continuously asked to pay for "unnecessary materials, which in the first place should be included in the tuition fees".
"If I am paying separately for transportation and many of the school materials, trips, academic projects, school plays, to name a few ... Then what exactly is included in the school fee," asked Masoud.
The new rule does not cover all schools as education zones, councils, and authorities have the authority to apply their own standards on fees. One such case is the Knowledge and Human Development Authority that fixed a 16 per cent fee cap for two consecutive years for Dubai schools.
"The Ministry of Education provides general guidelines for the different education zones and they have the authority to set their own guidelines. The decision is part of the revision done on the education by-law," said Dr Vincent Ferrandino, Educational Consultant at the policy and planning office at the ministry.
Although the education ministry expects an increase in teacher's salaries with the new amendment, the minimum salary for teachers in the new by-law is expected to remain the same, Dhs 2,000.
"It is the responsibility of the school to offer services on a par with the tuition fees and it is also the responsibility of the education zones to keep an eye on the performance and progression of the private schools in their zones," said Dr Ferrandino.
Principals satisfied
Neelam Upadhyay, principal of the Indian School in Al Ain, said the move to increase fees will be very helpful for private schools to improve the quality of education as they depend in full on fees from the pupils.
She does not expect any sort of protest from parents as a fee hike was imminent in the wake of the overall rising cost of living and inflation. "The parents must have expected it."
"Whenever there is a fee hike in our school, the management increases the salary of teachers," said Upadhyay. Her school hiked its fees last year, so she does not expect another hike in the coming year.
Impanathan, principal of Sun Rise English Private School in Abu Dhabi, said a ten percent increase in fees will not affect the parents.
The increase will help to really upgrade the school's standard as they can raise the salaries of teachers and improve other facilities for children, he said.
He explained that the real beneficiaries of the new move will be the schools that charge low fees. Some schools are. already charging high fees and if they hike it again, it will burden the parents.
By Siham Al Najami and Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporters