Which Dubai schools have hiked fees this year?

Yet another year and schooling will become more expensive for some parents in Dubai. Winchester School, run by Gems, has hiked it tuition fees and parents are definitely not a happy lot.

“They had the monthly fee system. We were told that this will change to semester plan and now we hear of a hike,” said a parent without wishing to be named.

“KHDA has now approved a fee increase of 9 per cent. This increase will be payable for the next academic year from September 2013,” read a letter sent out by the school.

“At The Winchester School, Jebel Ali, we work very hard to ensure that your children get the high quality education that they deserve but this requires continuous investment.

“Private education in Dubai is price regulated and our regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, (KHDA) decides when schools can increase fees and by how much. Earlier in the academic year the school was inspected by the KHDA through the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau. As you know The Winchester School was judged to be GOOD by the KHDA and we have also been consistently investing in our school in a variety of ways,” added the letter.

Some Dubai schools have not increased school fee this year despite the rating awarded to them. [Read These Dubai schools are not hiking fees this year]. 

Earlier in the year, there were reports that school in Dubai may not go for a fee hike this year but KHDA, the educational authority, allows ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ rated schools to charge parents more in the new academic year.

KHDA had made the announcement after the Educational Cost Index (ECI), which is published by the Dubai Statistics Centre, released its recording of minus 1 percentage.

However, the school fee framework does allow exceptions to 'good' and 'outstanding' rated for profit schools.

“Provided they make additions to existing buildings; improve educational facilities such as laboratories and libraries; invest in property in order to expand; renovate, demolish or rebuild existing buildings or floors; build additional branches of an existing school; relocate to a new building for the benefit of teaching and learning; or undertake tangible development that improves the quality of education they offer, including provision for special education needs students,” KHDA had said.

Last year, KHDA had allowed 129 Dubai schools to increase fees based on the ECI reading at 3. Schools that were rated 'outstanding' were allowed 6 per cent increase, while schools marked 'good' 4.5 per cent, and those listed as “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory” allowed 3 per cent.

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