In anticipation of their withdrawal at the beginning of the next academic year

Private schools charge first semester fees to register new students

The Department of Education allowed schools to collect their first installments a month before the start of the school year.

From the source

Private schools have required parents of new students to pay the first installment of the tuition fees for the next academic year in advance to agree to register their children in it.

While the families of students considered that the decision imposes early financial burdens on them, school administrations have confirmed that it guarantees the seriousness of registration, noting that the parents of their children have been withdrawn before the beginning of the current school year, which exposes schools to great financial losses.

The Department of Education and Knowledge said that charging any tuition fees during the registration period is contrary to the applicable regulations, according to the Private Schools Policies Manual, stressing the need to provide the possibility of paying tuition fees in three equal installments, so that parents can cover them during the school year, and the school may fulfill The first installment during the month before the beginning of the school year.

In detail, the relatives of students, Muhammad Taha, Walid Farouk, Marwa Mimi and Kholoud Ali, confirmed that they attended private schools in Abu Dhabi, and that their departments had told them that they had to pay the first semester fees in full, to ensure the acceptance of students.

Manal Hamdi, Rasha Gabriel, and Maryam Awad stated that one of the private schools asked for 7,000 dirhams from the value of school fees, despite the presence of other children of them in the same school.

Private schools confirmed that the decision concerns kindergarten students and students who are transferring to the school next academic year, and that it aims to ensure commitment and prevent the recurrence of the gap that occurred this year, after more than 50% of kindergarten students withdrew their children's files, which resulted in financial losses. Great for schools.

Officials in private schools, Rehab Abu Al-Fadl, Muhammad Hamdi, Nahla Esmat and Mona Diaa, stated that parents registered before the beginning of the current school year, and after a decision was made that education would be hybrid or remote, they preferred not to continue registration, and decided to withdraw their children. Noting that some of the students ’families attended the online classes at the beginning of the school year, and when asked to pay the fees, they refused, and preferred to withdraw their children, on the pretext that their children could not interact with distance education.

And they continued that the "5%" registration fee does not exceed 1000 dirhams in most schools, and it cannot be relied upon to compensate for losses, noting that the new students ’request to pay the first semester fees is linked to the volatile conditions as a result of the Corona pandemic.

They pointed out that the schools did not increase the fees, but rather demanded that part of it be collected early, to ensure the seriousness of registration.

Students' families are also allowed to recover fees in the event that they decide to withdraw from registering their children before the start of the school year with a period that allows schools to accept other students, stressing that the decision helps schools fulfill their obligations throughout the school year and contributes to their stability, which will benefit the educational process as a whole.

For its part, the Department of Education and Knowledge affirmed that the school may collect students ’registration fees, or re-enroll them, within four months before the start of the school year, provided that the amount does not exceed 5% of the approved tuition fee.

The amount paid is deducted from the school fees approved by the department at a later time.

The school collects the registration or re-registration fee upon registering the student in the school, and not upon applying for admission to it.

The school has the right to retain the registration or re-registration fee in the event that the student enrolls in the school on any day of the first week of the semester, or does not enroll in the school, and the parent does not inform the school of that in writing before the start of the actual study in sufficient time.

In the Abu Dhabi Private Schools Policies Manual, the department clarified that in the event that the student does not enroll in the school because a seat is not available, the school shall return the registration fee in full to the student’s parent.

The school is prohibited from receiving any financial guarantee, a financial deposit, application fees, or first-time enrollment fees from parents to register their children or pay any remaining installments, even if they are refundable.

The department continued: “If the student enrolls in the school for a period of between three and six weeks, as a maximum, the school has the right to retain the value of two full months of tuition fees.

If he is enrolled in the school for a period of more than six weeks in the semester, the school is entitled to retain the value of the full tuition fees for the semester, noting that “these cases apply to new students and students who registered after the start of the semester, and official holidays and absence days are calculated from the week’s period , And the value of one month’s fees should be estimated from the total tuition fee divided into 10 months.

She emphasized that the guardian has the right to fully recover the fees for school books and the student's school uniform (if not used).

School transportation fees should be returned by following the same method in which tuition fees are refunded. The school administration must inform parents in writing of these conditions upon registration or re-registration.

The Education Department said that charging any tuition fees during the registration period is contrary to the applicable regulations, according to the Private Schools Policies Manual, stressing the need to provide the possibility of paying tuition fees in three equal installments, so that parents can cover school fees during the school year, and the school may Fulfilling the first installment during the month before the start of the school year.

The first installment is paid in March for schools that start their school year in April, and in August for schools that start in September.

She indicated that “the guardian, in the event of any violation of the regulations in the school in which his son is enrolled, can submit a complaint to the department, which will in turn follow up the complaint, verify it, and take the necessary action,” adding that “the policy guide for private schools clarifies the applicable regulations and laws. In schools, and the responsibilities of all parties involved in the educational process in private schools ».

3 cases

The Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed the possibility of the school keeping a specified amount of tuition fees in three cases, namely:

Student enrollment in school for any period of the first week in the semester.

- Not enrolled in the school and the guardian not informing the school of that before the actual school starts in sufficient time

- In the event that the student enrolls in the school from one to three weeks, the school has the right to keep the value of a full month of tuition fees.

-

school fees have

not increased, but demanded the

collection of

part of

it early to make sure of the

seriousness of

registration.

- The decision concerns kindergarten students and students who transfer to the school for the next academic year, to ensure commitment.

7000

A private school stipulated that it be paid to register the student.

Education and Knowledge:

"Charging any tuition fees during the registration period is in violation of the applicable regulations."

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