Private school fees .. Annual increase without real development

Families are re-confused with the end of each school year when they start to book seats for their children next year in private schools. Parents face increasing school fees to overcome the challenges that are troubling students. In most private schools at the state level, school fees have led parents to call upon the competent authorities to issue a decision not to allow private schools to increase fees for at least two years.

In a survey conducted by Emirates Today on Twitter, in which more than 1,000 people participated, 62% of respondents said that private schools do not deserve an increase in fees, 34% said that the fees paid by schools are higher than the quality of education, and 4% Of the participants indicated that the schools deserved an increase in fees.

In addition, private school administrations said that the requests for tuition fees were due to several reasons, including improving the educational process, modifying the privileges of financial cadres, and covering the expenses of transporting students, while the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi indicated that schools must obtain the approval of the concerned parties to increase their premiums , And this approval is granted only if the school provided sufficient justification for that, noting that there is no law determining the rate of increase allowed schools, because this is done on a case-by-case basis.

Students reported that they had received letters from the administrations of their children's schools informing them of the possibility of increasing tuition fees for next year. Parents of students who participated in a survey conducted by Emirates Today on the increase in tuition fees reported that their children's schools did not pay for tuition fees , Demanding to reconsider the fees of «some private schools», especially as some of them turned into investment projects, the goal of material profit at the expense of students and their families.

Adel Al Kutbi, Ahmed Al Baloushi and Bilal Abdullah said that "private schools are competing in increasing tuition fees on the pretext of appointing qualified teachers from countries with advanced educational systems and English as their mother tongue." Educational outputs.

They pointed out that the fees for private schools need to be studied in order to alleviate the financial burden on the citizen and the resident, especially that the complaint about exaggerating the school fees is generally among the students, and that the teachers are fully aware of this problem.

In addition, students of the local students: Ahmed Adel, Islam Taha, Mutasim Abdel Nasser, Mona Sameh and Wahba Ahmed suggested that their children be enrolled in public schools with double fees for current fees to ensure that they receive a distinguished education within the UAE school system. The presence of a competitor in front of the resident students.

Osama Saeed, Mohammed Saad, Noor Al Mansouri and Rawia Khalaf called for the need to prevent schools from increasing their fees, especially since they have not undergone any development or modernization. The increase in tuition fees should be linked to the services offered to students and the academic, educational and professional level of teachers.

The school's principal, Raed Mohammed, said that the school administration, which is taught by its three sons in the Emirate of Sharjah, informed him of its intention to increase the tuition fees for the next academic year by 15%. He pointed out that the tuition fees are high in the original and that any increase in the old fees will lead to parents' And subjected them to considerable financial pressure.

He explained that he pays his first son, who teaches in the sixth semester, 21 thousand dirhams annually, and his second son, who teaches in the fifth grade 18 thousand, while paying his daughter, which is taught in the third quarter, 15 thousand dirhams, and continued: The total paid annually, AED.

He added that any increase in tuition fees for the next year will increase the financial burden on students and will put them under great financial pressure, asking the Ministry of Education to refuse any increase to private schools, for the attention of students, especially those with more than one student.

Adham Faisal said he pays 60,000 dirhams a year to his three children, who study at a private school in Ajman. The school administration told him when he booked a seat for the next school year that he would increase tuition fees for all classes by 15 percent.

He added that he was surprised by the decision of the school to increase tuition fees, although it did not provide any new educational services, or to fill the shortage of educational staff at all levels of education, pointing out that the school suffers from lack of teachers and poor uniforms, and delay in the delivery of textbooks to students annually.

He pointed out that increasing the fees for students without the development of school education will harm students and their families, and will push them to search for other schools that are cheaper and better educated, adding that some schools have lost their educational mission, and are looking for financial profit without developing their curricula. .

The father of the student Yasser Hamdan said that the tuition fees in private schools are very high and do not take into consideration the financial circumstances of some families. He said that he pays his son Yasser, who is studying in the tenth grade (British curriculum), and his daughter Siham, .

He pointed out that the schools do not take into account the financial circumstances of the families of students, insist that the first installment of tuition fees half the amount, and pay the rest on three checks, adding that the increase in tuition fees for next year will put families in great embarrassment, especially those who have other financial obligations, More than a student in private schools.

He added that the competent authorities should conduct a comprehensive study, relating to the economic situation of the families of students, and the provision of private schools educational services, educational and recreational, and linked with the value of tuition fees.

The director of the Rosary School, Rafael Bader, said that during the current school year, the school administration submitted a request to the Ministry of Education to increase the tuition fees at all levels of study by less than 15% for the next academic year. Financial cadres, so as not to transfer the educational competencies from school to other schools offering high salaries, in addition to attracting the best educational talent in the State, and to enroll in school, to ensure the provision of the best educational services.

She pointed out that the school administration has modified the curricula during the current academic year to meet the criteria set by the Ministry of Education. The school has updated the technological teaching aids and participated in the national tests in the country in order to provide students with an international and local dimension in various educational fields. .

The increase in fees was based on a study, as part of a strategic plan, for the overall development of education in the school.

The head of Ras Al Khaimah Modern School, Mohammed Al-Aqra, said that the school administration refused to increase its tuition fees for the next academic year because its fees are high compared to the rest of the private schools that implement the Ras Al Khaimah Ministerial Curriculum. And ends with 21 thousand dirhams for the twelfth season.

He pointed out that the refusal to increase the tuition fees was due to the economic conditions experienced by the students' families and the alleviation of the financial burdens accumulated on them, noting that the school has developed educational facilities and services without asking for increased tuition fees, and provides recreational services from swimming pools, playgrounds and educational tools.

He added that the school has submitted a request to increase the transportation fee of 500 dirhams per student during the next academic year, because it loses 600 thousand dirhams per year for the delivery of students. He pointed out that the increase in transportation fees is small to cover the losses incurred by the school annually, .

The head of Al Rawabi Private School, Rashed Gomaa, said that the school administration has requested a 15% increase in its tuition fees for the next school year, three years after the tuition fees have not been raised continuously. Study, modification and expansion of classrooms, and the assistance of foreign teachers in the kindergarten department was appointed.

She explained that modern teaching methods have been added in the classroom and electronic technologies to help students to education, in line with the standards of the Ministry of Education, pointing out that the increase in fees came to cover expenses in education, to pay the salaries of new educational staff, Transition to other schools.

She added that Al Rawabi School is considered one of the lowest schools in the northern parts of the country. Fees from kindergartens start at AED 5,000 and end in AED 8000 for the eighth semester. There is no transportation and textbooks. The fees will not include books and transport. Taking into account the students' families and their economic situation.

The administration of the Islamic Private School has justified increasing its tuition fees for the next academic year by 15%, for establishing new laboratories, installing smart boards and projectors in the classroom and making updates in the school building.

The Department explained that it has appointed a number of teachers in various disciplines, at all levels of education, to become the number of educational staff in the school 125 teachers, noting that it did not raise tuition fees during the past three years, and that after the amendments and the implementation of the standards required to submit a request to Ministry of Education and Education to raise tuition fees.

She added that the school fees are modest and within normal limits, starting from kindergartens with 4,500 dirhams, up to 11,600 dirhams for the twelfth semester, pointing out that the increase in fees will not include transportation, textbooks and school uniforms to take into consideration the circumstances of the students. on them.

For its part, the Department of Education and Knowledge explained on its official website that the private schools operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi must obtain the approval of the Department of Education and Knowledge in order to increase their premiums. This approval is granted only if the school provides sufficient justification for this. Allowance rate for schools, because this is done on a case-by-case basis.

The Department has identified five criteria for increasing tuition fees for private schools in Abu Dhabi, including a number of detailed requirements, including one-on-one improvement in the three inspection ranges of the Ascension program for private school inspection or inter-domain improvement, Salaries, training and professional development, buildings, furniture and equipment, school buses and learning resources. The third criterion includes the percentage of Emirati students and the percentage of Emirati employees. The fourth criterion ensures the percentage of students The percentage of employees and specialists to serve these students. The fifth criterion concerns the percentage of student complaints from the total number of complaints.

According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, the updated framework for organizing school fees for private schools in Dubai, recently approved by the Executive Council of the Emirate, allows private schools that are progressing in quality from "very good" to "privileged" (2.07%), and schools that improve their quality of education from "good" to "very good" (1.75%).

The updated framework allows schools that improve their performance from "weak" to "very poor", "weak" to "acceptable" or "acceptable" to "good", with a fee of twice the value of the education cost index (2.07%), indicating that they are entitled to increase the fees by 4.14%, to provide the means that support these schools, especially since most of them fall within the range of schools that serve a large segment of students, at a reasonable cost.

Increased fees for the development of the conference room

According to the mother of a student at a private school in Dubai, the school justified raising its tuition fees by making an amendment to the parents' meeting room, pointing out that this service does not serve the school's educational goals and can be dispensed with. The goal is unacceptable.

Students:

• "Tuition fees in private schools are very high and do not take into account the financial circumstances of families."

Private schools:

• "The increase in fees came to cover expenses in education, and pay the salaries of new educational staff."