Dubai Dubai News Six Dubai schools get approval to raise fees
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| Friday, 14 May 2010 00:00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Six Dubai schools get approval to raise fees.  Dubai: The Ministry of Education has allowed schools in Dubai to increase their fee for the academic year 2010-2011 even though the local authority, KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) has declared a fee freeze. Gulf News has learn t that at least six schools have been allowed raises between 15 to 20 per cent by the ministry overruling KHDA declaration in March that came as a reprieve for parents. Two GEMS Schools — Our Own English High School and The Millennium School — sent out circulars to their parents on Tuesday stating the new fee structure. Other providers who have been given the green light would soon follow, Gulf News has learned. Minister of Education Humaid Al Qutami said the ministry had approved fee increases for a few schools as special cases. "We have considered requests from schools on an individual basis and have approved increases within the federal parameters," he said. "Some schools need resources to survive and they deserve it because they have made investments on infrastructure, restructured their classrooms and have increased salaries of teachers. The Ministry has taken the decision considering all these facts," he said. Qutami added that the federal rule allowing schools an increase of up to 30 per cent was applied all over the UAE, and Dubai was no exception. "There is no separate rule for Dubai," he said. Investment "We want to support the private sector and encourage investment in the education sector," said the minister. However, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, that oversees educational institutions in Dubai, repeated the need for the fee freeze. Reacting to the decision by some schools to go ahead with fee increases, KHDA Chief of Regulations and Compliance Commission Mohammad Darwish said "KHDA has not yet approved any fee increase for any schools this year". "No school in Dubai can change its fee structure unless KHDA confirms this to the respective school in writing. "This is imperative as all schools operate under KHDA's mandate and are issued Educational Services Permits by the Authority. Additionally, no fee changes can be implemented once the academic year has already begun." As the education scene is getting mired in new controversies, parents said they were on the receiving end in a tug of war between the ministry and the KHDA. "Whoever has the final say, they should consider the welfare of students and parents," said Our Own English High School parent Sudheer Kumar, of Dubai. "I think it is unfortunate that parents are burdened by another increase at a time when companies are cutting down salaries and allowances," Kumar said. Kumar said as a parent of two, he has had to pay more than Dh2000 this year in fee increases after putting up with a 100 per cent increase the school imposed on transport last year. But GEMS, the largest private education provider in the UAE said the increases were imperative for the survival of their schools. "From a GEMS perspective, a restructuring was essential to ensure the sustainability of our older Indian school/s that have served the community so well for many years. Now that this decision has been made we will now be in a stronger position to retain our teachers by increasing their salaries and recognizing the great work," said Richard Forbes, Director Marketing and Communication at GEMS. Guidelines for hike The Ministerial decree for the year 2008 states that schools that have not raised their fee in a year can go up to 10 per cent increase. Those who have not increased their fee for two years are allowed up to 20 per cent and schools can raise their fee up to 30 per cent if they have not had a raise in the last three years
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