Wednesday, Mar 02, 2011

Gulf News

were aiming for 3% to 50% hike in price structure

Dubai The fee hike plans of as many as 36 schools in Dubai were thwarted by the government’s decision on Monday to freeze increases for the new academic year, education officials told Gulf News.

“As many as 36 schools had applied for fee hikes ranging from three to 50 per cent, for the academic year 2011-2012,” the Regulation and Compliance Commission at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) revealed yesterday.

Yesterday, Gulf News reported that 29 schools in Dubai had applied for permission to raise fees, based on figures released by the KHDA earlier. However, the KHDA clarified yesterday that the number increased to 36 schools over the past two weeks.

Those aiming for hikes included — 17 UK curriculum schools, seven Indian curriculum schools, five US curriculum schools, two schools following UAE ministry of education curriculum and three schools following ministry of education/US curriculum.

Monday’s ruling was welcomed by many parents.

Steve Timothy, who has three school going children said that “it is a wonderful decision by the government.”

School fees take up a big chunk of our family budget and it is a big relief that it has been frozen, he added.

Another parent, Sheetal Ahuja, whose two children go to one of the most expensive schools in the city, said: “It’s great. Thanks to the government.

“But authorities must also ensure the school transportation fee is not raised. We have been notified about a 10 per cent hike. We request the authorities to consider plight of parents in other emirates too,” a parent, whose child goes to a school in Sharjah said.

Several schools, however, have said that they will be left without means to make necessary improvements to the quality of education offered to their students.

“It has come as a rude shock to us,” head of one of the schools who sought fee hike said, asking not to be named.

“KHDA inspections asked us to improve and to make the necessary changes suggested to us we need resources. How will we do that without funds?”

Those who suffer the most will be teachers and other staff members since it will cut into their benefits this year, the school official added.

Realistic increase

Clive Pierrepont, director of communications for Taaleem, which runs nine schools, called for deregulation of the education market so that parents can choose between the “profiteers” and “pioneers”.

“Effective schools have business plans that are realistic of fee income and will fine tune them according to any minor variables that occur,” he said.

“We welcome a time when each individual school’s case for a fee adjustment is judged on merit.”

Reshmi Nandkeolyar, principal of Delhi Private School Dubai said that the school will prioritise their action plan to improve the school, now that they will not get approval for the 10 to 15 per cent hike that they sought.

increase ban

parents confused

Several parents whose children go to GEMS schools said that they are confused about the new decision banning any fee increase in private schools this year.

Five GEMS schools, all following Indian curriculum, had already issued circulars last month to the thousands of parents whose children go to these schools informing them about fee increases in the new academic year. GEMS issued these circulars to raise fees by 10 per cent based on the approval they got from Ministry of Education last year, allowing them to increase fees for three years.

“The approval for a fee increase was provided by the Ministry of Education last year to help restructure 5 older Asian schools - the announcement by the Executive Council not to approve fees increases is for the academic year 2011- 12 and relates to schools which applied for increases this year - we are happy for any parents to contact the Ministry or KHDA in order to confirm this,” said a GEMS spokesperson.

Last year saw KHDA and the Ministry of Education caught in an open power struggle over approval of fee increases in private schools. After the KHDA called to freeze any fee increase during 2010-2011, five of these GEMS schools and two Taaleem schools approached the ministry. The ministry’s approval led to the authorities battling it out in the open.

— R.A.

By Rayeesa Absal?Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.