Saturday, Aug 27, 2016

Abu Dhabi/Dubai/Sharjah - This year, the Abu Dhabi Education Council, the emirate’s education sector regulator, announced that 51 schools have been allowed to increase their fees. The average increase for the 2016-2017 compared to 2015-2016 will be about six per cent.

However, parents who spoke to Gulf News said they were not yet aware of any increases in their children’s fees, and added that they had not seen a rise over the last three years. They did, however, report spending at least 30 per cent of their annual income on their children’s education.

Michael Kelley

Abu Dhabi parent

Two children in higher grades
Dh100,000 each year

“Education in the UAE is an expensive affair. Even though my children receive a world-class education, its cost is rather prohibitive,” Michael Kelley, 50, a consultant physician and father-of-four, told Gulf News.

Kelley currently has two children studying in higher grades at an American curriculum private school in the capital.

“Tuition fees amount to Dh85,000 per year per child, and with ancillary costs, I probably pay about Dh100,000 each year. So I have to plan my expenses really well, especially as I have two other children attending university in the United States,” he said.

He added that the high cost of education means that he can only select to work in jobs that pay enough.

“Living expenses are steadily rising in the UAE but unfortunately, salaries do not keep pace,” Kelley said.

Adam Pitt

Son starting school this year

Dh24,000 per year

Adam Pitt, whose four-year-old will be starting school this summer, said he will be paying Dh24,000 per year.

“This is actually half the tuition because my wife works at the same institution and receives a discount. School fees are undoubtedly very high, and we knew this before we moved here two years ago. But it was a strategic decision because we knew my wife’s work would help us balance these costs,” said Pitt, 32, an account manager for media strategies from the United Kingdom.

Pitt said most parents absorb the cost of school essentials into their monthly expenses.

“We simply merge the cost of stationery, bags and books with our other shopping. And we are glad to note the flexible payment systems that most schools offer,” he added.

M Ellyass

Abu Dhabi parent

Three children

40% of earnings on children’s education

A father-of-three from India, currently sets aside about 40 per cent of his earnings on educating his three children.

“The cost of back-to-school items is not massive, especially when compared to tuition fees. And the Indian curriculum school my children attend has not raised its fees in the last two years,” he explained.

“Of course education is costly, but as parents, we simply have to cope. There is no other way,” Ellyass said.

Angelo Shelton Nigli

Dubai parent

Son in Grade Two

Dh2,500 minimum per month

Nigli’s only son studies in an Indian school following the CBSE syllabus said the hike in school fee in the past four years has not been very phenomenal.

“My son studies in grade two. The fee is already above average in his school. But it was our choice to send him to this school. Since they have received the good rating the KHDA inspections, they were allowed to hike the fees twice in these four years. But I have not felt the percentage of increase in fee as very high. They were only allowed to increase from three to five per cent. I don’t mind it much because the increase is marginal and it is depending on the quality of education,” said Nigli, who works as a senior sales manager with a tyre dealer company.

However, he noted that the increase in the fees together with the rising cost of school supplies will affect the family’s budget.

“There is a 15 to 20 per cent hike in school supplies, especially in the case of school bags which we need to change every year. There is also about 10 per cent increase year on year for the school uniform even though the school asks us to buy the uniform from a particular outlet. So, when you compare the total monthly expenditure for my son’s education purposes, I feel it affects the family budget. If I used to keep aside some Dh2000 monthly for him, I will have to keep some Dh2500 minimum in hand from now onwards.”

Parents contacted by Gulf News in Sharjah said they spend around 20 per cent of their income on school costs. Based on their comments, there doesn’t appear to have been a widespread rise in tuition fees in the past two or three years.

Afsheen Fatima

Sharjah parent

Son in third Grade

“My son’s school hasn’t really hiked its tuition fees, but I’ll be paying more this school year because he has gone to a higher grade, from second to third grade. Plus, other fees have increased, such as the bus fee by Dh40 and Dh150 for a new form. I’ve also been asked to pay three month’s tuition fees as one instalment. I used to pay per month, which was much easier,” said Afsheen Fatima, a Pakistani mother.

“Books and shoes are also more expensive this time. If I go for a cheap pair, it won’t last more than six months and I’ll have to buy another pair. I typically spend around Dh900 to Dh1,000 every month on education costs. We are salaried people, every additional cost counts.”

Her seven-year-old son attends a British curriculum school in Sharjah. She added: “What’s more is that every year there’s a new fad that children want to follow when it comes to school bags or other school supplies. That means more spending.”

Rajesh Chandwani

Sharjah parent

Son in 12th Grade

A little under Dh50,000 per year

said “all costs are rising” in his son’s education. “Education has become a pure business, schools are just milking money. But they don’t pay teachers enough, so why should teachers be bothered to give their best to students?” said Chandwani, whose son attends an Indian school in Sharjah, where annual tuition costs “less than Dh50,000”.

“It seems there is a fee for everything at school. I don’t get what is an ‘activity fee’. These fees don’t translate into higher education quality for students. When you ask schools why they increase fees or have so many charges for different things, they say ‘it is ministry-approved’.”

By Sajila Saseendran Senior Reporter Faisal Masudi Staff Reporter Samihah Zaman Staff Reporter

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