103 Dubai Schools Given Go Ahead to Raise Fees

According to UAE newspaper, Khaleej Times, 103 Dubai schools have been given the right to increase fees by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) with increases set at between 1.74 per cent and 3.48 per cent depending upon the rating of the school.

For Outstanding schools, the fee increase will be 3.48 per cent, Good schools will get a 2.61 per cent increase and schools rated Acceptable and Unsatisfactory will be allowed a 1.74 per cent increase. The KHDA has also allowed an exceptional increase of nine per cent for one school, while applications from three other schools for an ‘exceptional’ increase are under review.

Mohammed Ahmed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at the KHDA, confirmed to Khaleej Times that the authority had received applications from 111 private schools and 27 embassy/non-profit schools.

Fee increases are determined by the Education Cost Index (ECI) — a consumer price index that determines the cost of running schools. Last year no school was allowed to increase fees - except in "exceptional" cases. In total 17 out of 34 applications applying for the exception were approved by the KHDA.

Eligible Profit Schools for 2014/15: 111
a. Exception under review: 3
b. Exception approved this year: 1 (9%)
c. No Increase: 2
d. Exception - Previous approval: 13
e. Normal Eligibility approved: 86

Non Profit/Embassy: 27
a. Embassy Schools approved: 4
b. Non Profit No Increase: 2
c. Non Profit approved: 17