Parents moan about Abu Dhabi schools fee hike

Soon after reports of 61 private schools applying for a fee hike in Abu Dhabi made the rounds, parents of school students in the emirate expressed unhappiness over the impending mark-up.

Although the Abu Dhabi Educational Council (Adec) is yet to approve the final list, most likely by the end of May, parents are a worried lot.

“I just moved my child from the Indian curriculum to British, and that move cost me a lot,” explained Daya, mother of a Grade 3 student.

“I used to pay Dh5,000 annually, and now it’s gone up to Dh25,000. So another increase is not something I am looking forward to.”

With the education budget increasing, with a 9 per cent fee increase in 2012-13, many parents complain that the hike isn’t warranted.

“How will an increase in fee impact the quality of education meted out?” quizzed a parent, on condition of anonymity.

“How come our salaries remain stagnant, while the cost of everything else increases?”

Most of the parents informed that their children’s schools hadn’t communicated about an impending mark-up until now.

“We’ve not heard about any such decision from the school. I just hope my child’s school is not part of the list. Fingers crossed,” added Daya.

Of the 61 schools who have filed for a hike in tuition fees, 11 are from the Asian curriculum.

According to Adec’s regulations, private schools need to seek the council’s approval before undertaking any increase in their tuition fees.

[Image via Shutterstock]