Pakistan schools in Kingdom to cut fees: Envoy

JEDDAH — Pakistan Ambassador Raja Ali Aijaz, who is also the patron in chief of Pakistan International Schools in the Kingdom, announced fees reduction on the instruction of Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari (Zulfi), special advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for overseas Pakistanis.

Zulfi, in a recent videoconference with the members of the Pakistani community, was apprised of the need to reduce fees by the parents. Following their requests and appeals, Zulfi directed the Ambassador and Consul General Khalid Majid to come up with a relief package by easing the fees burden of students’ parents in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Majid said the decision of reducing fees was taken to give relief to the parents. There are about 40,000 students studying in two types of Pakistani schools in Saudi Arabia, one English section, and the other Urdu section.

The English section fees are very high in comparison to the Urdu section. In the Pakistani Schools most of the students belong to middle class and poor families.

The decision was made Friday night by the management committee of Azizia School in Jeddah, under which the tuition fees of students of each class have been reduced by 35% for two months (May, June 2020).

A press release from the school said that the school administration is concerned for the welfare of all students and the difficulties of their parents due to the economic impact of coronavirus.

It said the concession would not be available to students, who already owed SR3,000 or more or three months' school fees. In addition there will be no discount for students who are already receiving fee concessions from the school.

Meanwhile, the English section of the Pakistani school Riyadh has given a 50% discount on two-month fees, which has been appreciated by the Pakistani community in Riyadh.

While the Pakistan International School English Section (PISJ-ES) Jeddah has not yet announced any concessions. The school has solicited applications from parents who are facing financial difficulties in today's situation.

The Pakistani school in Taif is to offer 35% discount in fees for two months while the Pakistani school Nasiriyah in Riyadh has announced that parents who pay a three-month fee in lump sum will be given a 10% discount. The Nasiriyah School has taken offline children who have not paid their fees.

Pakistani schools in Al-Khobar, where more than 3,000 children are studying, has not yet announced any concessions in fees due to the school's financial difficulties. Reliable sources said that Pakistani school fees in Al-Khobar are already the lowest of any educational institution in Saudi Arabia.

The Pakistani community has expressed happiness over the reduction of fees by the managements of Pakistan International Schools in Saudi Arabia.