Dubai Schools: Advance Fees Permitted - KHDA

Dubai schools are permitted to request advance payment for school fees due in the next academic year, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

A significant number of parents whose children are attending a variety of schools across Dubai have been contacted by the schools requesting payment for term beginning in September. The schools are demanding payment by the end of June. In a statement to local newspaper Emirates 24/7 KHDA said:

“Given that schools operating in Dubai cater to different communities with various needs, KHDA gives schools the flexibility to fix their payment schedules in line with these needs,” Mohammed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at KHDA, explained.

“Some schools have a monthly payment schedule while others have term-based schedules. Some have just two payments in a year while others have four. “This is entirely up to the schools, based on their needs and the needs of the parents and students they cater to.”

The relevant clauses relating to payment of school fees are, according to KHDA, set out in The School Fees Framework which was published by the regulator in April 2012.