Doha: Ministry of Education and Higher Education has unveiled a new policy governing tuition fees in private schools and kindergartens, introducing a transparent framework that gives parents up to 18 months’ advance notice of approved fee increases while linking future tuition hikes to schools’ academic performance and educational quality.

As part of the policy’s pilot implementation for the 2026-2027 academic year, the ministry approved fee increase requests from 54 private schools and kindergartens and rejected 22 applications that failed to meet the required criteria and documentation standards.

The policy was unveiled during a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters, where officials described it as the first comprehensive and publicly announced framework in the ministry’s history governing the calculation of tuition fees and the assessment of requests for fee increases.

Speaking at the event, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs Omar Abdulaziz Al Namaa, said the policy reflects the ministry’s commitment to continuously developing the legislative and regulatory environment of the private education sector in a manner that promotes sustainability, competitiveness and quality while balancing the interests of all stakeholders.

Al Namaa noted that investors, school operators and parents had repeatedly called in recent years for a clear and transparent framework governing tuition fee calculations and fee increase applications.

In response to these demands, the ministry developed the new policy following extensive studies and a review of international best practices and experiences.

Director of Private Schools and Kindergarten Department and Acting Director of the Private School Licensing Department Dr Rania Mohammed explained that the ministry has introduced several major updates to the tuition fee policy, including the reorganization of timelines for submitting fee increase requests to reflect the different academic calendars followed by private schools.

She said that under the revised system, schools whose academic year begins in January or April must submit fee increase requests in September each year, while schools operating on a September academic calendar must submit their requests in December.

One of the most significant outcomes of the new policy, according to Dr. Mohammed, is the provision of a much longer notice period for parents before any approved fee increase takes effect. Under the new framework, families will have approximately 18 months’ notice of any approved increase, compared with the previous practice where increases were often announced shortly before the start of the academic year.

The ministry has also introduced, for the first time, a clear ceiling on tuition fee increases, which will serve as a primary reference point when assessing requests submitted by private schools. Dr. Mohammed said the percentage increase approved for each school will now vary according to its academic evaluation results and overall quality of education. As a result, some schools have not been granted any increase, while others have received varying levels of increases based on their educational performance and service quality.

She said the new approach sends a clear message to private schools that investment in educational quality, curriculum development, student achievement, teacher performance, and learning environments has become the primary factor influencing fee-increase decisions.

Dr. Mohammed said that financial considerations alone are no longer sufficient; academic excellence and educational quality now serve as key determinants in the approval process.

The ministry also disclosed the results of the pilot implementation of the policy for the 2026-2027 academic year.

She said that a total of 99 private schools and kindergartens submitted applications seeking tuition fee increases or requesting the introduction or adjustment of operating, service and optional fees. Of these, 57 applications sought increases in both tuition fees and operating and service fees, while 20 applications related solely to operating and service fees.

Dr. Mohammed said that following a detailed review, 22 tuition fee applications were excluded for failing to meet eligibility requirements or for not providing the necessary documentation and supporting information.

She said that of the 57 schools and kindergartens that met the ministry’s criteria and assessment standards, 54 were approved for fee increases, while three applications were not approved. Dr. Mohammed said that the policy also introduces several new eligibility requirements as schools and kindergartens must have been licensed for at least three years before becoming eligible to apply for a fee increase.

She said that institutions that received an approved tuition increase during the previous three academic years are not permitted to submit a new request. Dr. Mohammed said that schools must also maintain an occupancy rate of at least 65 percent of their approved student capacity and may not exceed their authorized enrolment limits except in specific cases approved by the ministry. To support schools facing financial or academic challenges, the ministry has introduced dedicated recovery pathways.

Dr. Mohammed said three schools have been placed under a financial recovery pathway, while 13 schools have been assigned to an academic recovery pathway. A further three schools have been placed under a combined financial and academic recovery programme.

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