Saudi Private Schools Must Publish Fees 'Year in Advance'

Private schools in Saudi Arabia have been instructed to set their tuition fees one year in advance of any proposed changes and are not permitted to raise fees during the school year, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette newspaper. 

The schools will have to register the details of fees, and when they become effective, on the Saudi Ministry of Education website.  Schools must also clearly identify any changes to the fees.  The fee details will be made public by the Ministry and the published fees will be a reference point in the event of any dispute between schools and fee-paying parents. 

Any schools that infringe the new rules will be fined according to the report. 

The Ministry of Education is also in the process of setting up a committee to set up regulations with regard to school fees for private schools in the Kingdom. The committee will compile an annual guide, identifying the changes in fees and the justifications received from the schools for these changes.

With the growing number of private schools opening in the Kingdom, it seems that the Ministry of Education is keen to ensure that there is transparency for parents on the costs associated with choosing to give their children a private education.