Parents In Dubai Protest Substantial Hike In School Fees

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority announced earlier this year that “outstanding” schools were eligible to raise fees to double the amount set up in the national Educational Cost Index, while “good” schools were eligible to raise fees by up to 1.5 times the amount.

But many parents believe the increase is unjustified, according to a report in 7Days. They argue that the increased fees are difficult to pay when parents have not received equivalent salary increases.

The newspaper quoted Pakistani mother-of-three Hena Khan as claiming school fees per child were hiked by about AED3,000 last year and she does not want to pay any more.

“In total, I pay about AED95,000 in school fees for my three children. Last year, they increased the fees for each child by about AED3,000.

“I think increasing the fees like this is not justifiable because it’s not like our salaries are going to be increased too. They need to think about these factors.”

Another parent, Nandlal Hiranand Mirchandani, said: “It’s not right. I’m going to send my kids to the US if I have to for a better education. Our salaries are not going to double each year, they should understand that.”

Mirchandani told the newspaper school fees for his two children have doubled in three years from around AED10,000 three years ago to AED40,000 for both now.

Mohammed Darwish, chief of the regulations and permits commission, at KHDA, reportedly said in February: “The fees framework balances the needs of schools and parents. We are witnessing steady growth within the education sector, leading to increased stability. The [Educational Cost Index] is directly linked to inflation and an increased cost in living.”