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Investigation: Sheikha Al-Naqbi
The issue of tuition fee increases has become an area of competition between private schools, with schools announcing different reasons and arguments for the annual increase, leaving families confused at the end of each academic year about private school fees. Some private schools have increased the fees charged by parents in order to reserve a place for their children in private schools for the next academic year, and this exaggerated practice has worried families of students, especially in private schools. Most state-level private schools do not have a uniform annual tuition fee increase percentage, which has prompted parents to resort to the competent authorities to issue decisions not to allow private schools to increase tuition fees.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge explained on its official website that private schools operating in the emirate must obtain approval from the ministry to increase tuition fees, and this approval will not be granted unless the school provides sufficient reasons, noting that there is no law stipulating the percentage of increase allowed for schools, as this issue depends on each case.
The department has set five criteria for increasing tuition fees in Abu Dhabi’s private schools, which include a number of detailed requirements, including improvements in one of the three inspection areas of the “Irtiqaa” program for inspecting private schools or improvements between the areas, while the second criterion includes the number of new employees, as well as increased 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 staff. The fourth criterion includes the percentage of students with disabilities and the percentage of staff and specialists who provide services to these students. The fifth criterion involves the percentage of student complaints out of the total number of complaints.
The department approved the tuition fee increases based on the results of the Education Cost Index calculated in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre and determined the structure of the increases based on the classification of each school under the Irtiqaa school assessment program. Thus, the maximum limit of the tuition fee increase for schools that received an “excellent” rating in the Irtiqaa program was determined to be 3.94%, while this percentage was set for schools that received a “very good” rating at 3.38%, while the increase for schools that received a “good” rating was 2.81%, while the maximum increase for schools that received an “acceptable,” “weak” or “very weak” rating was 2.25%. In order to be able to adjust its fees, a school must have completed three years since it began operations and must comply with the fee structure specified by the department.
“Al-Khaleej” discussed this issue with the school principals, which is updated every year, especially sometime before the start of the academic year, and the school management confirmed that the procedures imitated the regulations and laws and no violations or exaggerations were found. Several principals said that tuition fees have not been increased, and if it is due to the increase in evaluations in the school upgrade evaluation program, tuition fees vary according to academic level.
- Economic situation
Hatem Darwish, principal of a private school in Abu Dhabi, said: “Tuition fees range from Dh5,400 to Dh12,000, and the amount varies according to the level of study. As for the amount approved for reserved seats, it is Dh500, which is deducted from the tuition fees. I refuse to increase tuition fees.” Educational facilities and services without asking for an increase in tuition fees. “
Aida Nemer, headmaster of a private school in Abu Dhabi, explained: “The school fees range from Dh6,820 to Dh21,870. As for transportation fees, it is Dh5,500, but it is not mandatory and is decided by the guardian.” He wanted to take his son to school in his own car or enroll his brother to get a 5% discount on the tuition fees, and the tuition fees have not increased because the school’s evaluation has not changed from the previous “school year.”
- Price increased:
On the other hand, Anas Adel, the principal of a private school in Abu Dhabi, said: “The price of textbooks for next year has increased by about Dh150 to Dh200 compared to the previous price, and this is because the distribution price has increased.” As for tuition fees, they have not increased the price because the school’s evaluation is “good”, which is no different from the evaluation of the previous academic year. As for tuition fees, they range from Dh12,000 to Dh20,000, clothes cost Dh350, and transportation costs Dh3,500. MN, from the registration department of a private school in Abu Dhabi, said: “The tuition fees for next year have increased by 2.25% because the evaluation has increased, and before it was ‘acceptable’, it is now ‘good’. In this case, the Ministry of Education and Knowledge allows the increase in study fees”.
Several parents pointed out that the fees charged by private schools need to be regulated by the competent authorities to reduce the financial burden on citizens and residents, explaining that some schools have lost their educational mission and only pursue financial gains without developing their own curriculum and providing the best educational personnel. “Strict laws must be in place to prevent schools from increasing tuition fees, especially if the school has not undergone development or modernization that requires such an increase. Tuition fees must also be linked to the services provided to students, especially if the school has not undergone development or modernization that requires such an increase,” said parent Laila Al-Mansouri. “As well as the academic, educational and professional level of teachers, the school my children attend is suffering from a shortage of female teachers, poor quality of school uniforms, and delays in the delivery of textbooks to students every year.”
Guardian Muhammad Othman explained that the administration of the school where his four children study informed him of the increase in fees for the next academic year, stressing that the previous fees were already high and this increase is higher than the old school year. The fees will hurt him and add to his financial stress as he has to pay for his first son, who is in Grade 6, and his two daughters, who are in Grade 4, on an annual income of Dh19,000. The first and third graders are paid Dh15,000 each, while he gives his son, who is in Grade 1, Dh11,000, bringing the total annual salary to Dh61,000.
Rabbi Mustafa pointed out that some schools do not take into account the economic situation of students’ families and insist on halving the first installment of tuition fees and paying the rest in three installments, explaining that the increase in tuition fees in the next year will put families in great embarrassment, especially those with financial obligations and who have more than one student enrolled in private schools, adding that the competent authorities must conduct a comprehensive study of the tuition issue as well as the educational, teaching and entertainment services provided by private schools and link them to tuition fees.
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