Are Dubai schools value for money?

As new guidelines fuel fears of a further hike in school fees, XPRESS decided to find how Dubai schools stack up as far as fees are concerned and whether they are value for money. Figures sourced from official websites of various schools showed that IB (International Baccalaureate), British and American schools top the charts, with tuition fees alone exceeding Dh90,000 a year in some cases. Add to this the extra cost of transport, books, uniforms, sports and other activities — and parents are coughing up well over Dh100,000. How expensive Dubai schools are? If that were not steep enough, the new framework announced by school regulator KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) last week means that parents will now have to shell out 3 to 6 per cent more depending on whether their schools have been rated outstanding, good or acceptable. In the past, parents took bank loans to fund college education. But now they are knocking at bank doors for school fees too. At least two banks have come up with tailored "school-fee loans", while a third has launched a co-branded credit card with a prominent school chain. The card gives parents up to 11 per cent discount if they pay for the academic year — which can be converted into 12 interest-free instalments. While parents XPRESS spoke to were divided in their response on the quality of education, they all agreed one on thing — school fees in Dubai should be lower. Most parents expressed satisfaction over academic inputs at the more expensive IB and Western curriculum schools. Some even made comparisons to substantiate their point. "I moved my son to an IB school from an Indian school because the approach to academics is better here. The IB curriculum is tough but there is less pressure on my child. The teaching is practical and the curriculum ensures overall personality development," said K. Soni, mother of a Grade 11 boy at an IB school in Jumeirah. Having said that, Soni believes she is spending too much. "I wouldn't say it's value for money. I pay Dh52,000 as tuition fees alone, three times more than what I used to pay at the earlier school. But my choice is limited if I want IB for my son. There are not many cheaper options here." The mother of another Grade 11 student in an IB school in Emirates Living said she pays Dh60,000 a year for fees and transport. "We live just 10 minutes away and yet have to pay Dh8,000 for the bus. We also pay extra for extra-curricular activities." She said the school has a multinational environment with sports and other social activities integrated into the curriculum. "This helps in personality development, but money-wise, it is expensive." Perceptions are largely based on the parents' ability to pay and their individual experiences. The parents of a Year III boy at a British school in Emirates Living said it's worth every bit of the Dh40,460 they spend annually. "It identified our son as a gifted child and is doing all it can to nurture his talent — even allowing him to study at a higher level. We can't imagine it's the same boy who used to fall asleep in another school [with American curriculum]." "I would get bored as there was nothing new in what the teacher taught me," said the seven-year-old boy. British expat engineer John Simons pays Dh80,000 annual school fees in total for his two kids studying in a British school in Mirdif. "My company pays for it. Such education allowances drive school fees upwards — just as in the rental market where housing allowances push prices up. "Perhaps I would be more circumspect if I were paying from my own pocket. I am happy my kids can study in a private school in Dubai unlike England where we could afford only a public school," he said, adding the Mirdif school has good facilities, with a wide range of after-school activities, including sports and club activities. But not all are convinced. "Schools here aren't a patch on the schools in the UK or India. They lack the competitiveness and international image that top institutions elsewhere enjoy," said a parent of a Year IV boy in a well-known Indian school with the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) curriculum. "In Dubai, we may think we are the best, but that's not enough." Some parents said Dubai is relatively young when it comes to education and this can be unsettling. "Even if we have the world's best universities, colleges or schools setting up base here, it is not the same thing because the infrastructure is still evolving," said Peter Rogers, the father of a Grade IV student in an American school. The mother of a Grade V girl in an international school which has just "rebranded" itself echoed the sentiment. "How can a school rebrand itself like a soap or perfume? We got our daughter admitted here because the school belonged to a well-known international educational group. Now all of a sudden we are told there is a new management. That too after we have paid the term fees." The parent of another student from the school said, "Such instances are becoming commonplace in Dubai. Another institution which abruptly changed hands recently left students and parents guessing. Where's the accountability and credibility?" Most parents believe inflation is no excuse for schools to jack up their fees. "Inflation affects our paying abilities too, not just their operational costs," said the father of a Grade IV boy in an Indian school. But the schools claim they have their own compulsions. Dissecting the expenditure of an educational institution, the CEO of a prominent school said, "It is very difficult to run an educational institution in Dubai. We are in fact running at a loss." He said schools are allowed to collect fees for 10 months while other expenses are year round. "When we started, we envisaged a seven per cent fee hike every three years to cover our costs over a 10-year period. But now, there is a maximum cap of six per cent. If you ask me, lower-rated schools (acceptable) should be allowed a bigger hike as they need to improve their facilities." He said a sizeable chunk of the revenue goes into paying rents. "This is the biggest overhead — we pay Dh15 million every year. Add to this another 10 per cent for the licence fee and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority charges. Then comes the salary head which takes up 20 per cent of our revenue. We also need to meet the conditions of the Civil Defence, Roads and Transporty Authority, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Health Authority, all of which require constant upgrades." He said his school, which has 1,400 students, charges a maximum fee of Dh2,000 a month. "How will this suffice?" Asked when he would be announcing an increase in fees he said, "We have submitted our new structure to the KHDA and are awaiting their approval." The School Fees Framework is based on quality of education and an Educational Cost Index (ECI) calculated by the Dubai Statistics Centre. Schools rated ‘outstanding' by Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau can increase fees at double the rate of ECI (calculated at three per cent), schools with a ‘good' rating by one and half times, and ‘acceptable' and ‘unacceptable' one's can increase their fees at the rate of ECI. The framework also regulates registration, admission deposits and refund policies for students.