Pre-schooling (nursery or play school) in Dubai are as expensive as regular primary schooling but most companies in Dubai do not cover these costs.
A senior officer in a multi-national bank confirmed to this website that his bank would not pay for his daughter until 4 years of age. “Nurseries are expensive and my company doesn’t pay so we have our daughter at home. She’ll just start school at FS1,” he said on the condition of anonymity.
According to William Bolling, Senior Consultant at The Gulf Recruitment Group, “it is unlikely that companies will consider contributions to pre-schooling costs.”
Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner, Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase stresses that pre-schooling does not fall under the category of obligatory education so there is no pressure on companies to foot the bills.
“As far as I know, nursery and play school is not obligatory education. It cannot be the responsibility of a company to cover such expenses. It is as if a company is requested to cover the cost of extra-curriculum activities of the employees’ kids,” she told this website.
Even though the majority of businesses in town do not pay up, there are some that offer facilities such as onsite childcare.
“According to our survey, nearly one in five (19 per cent) Dubai companies offer onsite perks such as childcare, although it is our experience that any costs for pre-schooling have not been offset by the employer,” Gareth El Mettouri, Associate Director for Robert Half’s Middle East operations told Emirates24|7.
Post recession and given the state of the global job markets, fewer companies will now opt for a salary with various categories of perks.
“Overall, we are seeing the job market move to a single salary figure, where basic accommodation and car allowance is rolled into one sum.
Remuneration, while still competitive, is not as plentiful as it was a few years ago. While companies continue to look for expatriate talent, the benefits of living and working in the UAE are more highly recognised and as a result, the region is able to attract the talent it requires,” said Mettouri.
“Indeed the fact is that more and more companies are trying to move away from allowance based payment structures. With the continued pressures on the global economy, the UAE is seen as an increasingly attractive option. The days of relocation to the Middle East being seen as hardship posting are long gone! In addition, these costs are not borne by employers in other parts of the world, so companies in the UAE are unlikely to voluntary introduce additional costs to the payroll,” added Bolling of The Gulf Recruitment Group.
However, expat parents can only hope that costs would only be shared, if not fully paid by the company they work for.
“There are plenty of nurseries or play schools in Dubai but the fees are too high. Paying Dh30,000 per annum for a little ones is very pricey. I am a working mother and have to send my child to the nursery as there is no family support. I wish my company could share the cost,” said an expat parent.
Another mother, who did not wish to be named, considers that pre-schooling costs should be covered as childcare facilities provided by companies in the office premises is a rare thing. “Either provide a crèche at work or help us with the huge fees that we pay,” she said.
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