In a welcome change, a handful of Dubai schools have decided not to hike their tuition fee this year, despite their eligibility to do so as per the KHDA’s stated fee-hike guidelines.The decision to not increase their fees offers respite to parents for whom an annual hike was always on the cards.
Emirates International School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Dubai, is among those Dubai schools that are not going to increase their tuition fee this year.“The fee structure for academic year 2013/14 remains the same,” an accounts executive confirmed to Emirates 24|7. Admission and re-admission letters are being sent out to parents and they are definitely a happy lot, this website has learned.“My son studies in the primary section and my second child just got admission in KG1. It’s so good that the fee has not been increased,” a Dubai-based parent told this website.
Dubai International Academy, another IB curriculum school, in the city is not going for any hike. “The tuition fee remains the same,” confirmed the accounts department.“We were expecting a revision of the fee structure but I’m glad it’s the same,” said a parent of second grader.Another popular British curriculum school in Jebel Ali has not increased their fees. “The school fee remains the same but it will be payable per term and not on a monthly-basis,” said an accounts executive at the school.Even as some schools in the city have not increased their fees, many others have not yet given clarity to parents about what they can expect next year.
“We are still not sure. The approval is pending and we will inform the parents when we obtain the nod from the KHDA,” said the accounts manager of a British curriculum school without wishing to be named. “Some schools have released their new structure. I guess we will have to pay more as the school authorities have not made anything clear to us at the moment,” said an Indian national living in Dubai.
Last year, the KHDA had allowed Dubai schools to increase fees based on the rankings it had awarded. Schools that were rated ‘outstanding’ were allowed 6 per cent increase, while schools ranked ‘good’ could hike their tuition fees by up to 4.5 per cent, and those listed as ‘satisfactory’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ were allowed a 3 per cent hike.
