English College Parents Campaign To Save School

Parents at the English College Primary School, Dubai have launched a campaign to 'Save Our School' having been informed yesterday that the Jumeirah-based school is set to shut in June 2014.  Meetings will take place today to begin organising a programme of activity aimed at reversing the decision which was communicated by a letter from head teacher William Johnston.

Organisers will be encouraged by a successful campaign which was undertaken by parents and pupils last year at GEMS Westminster School which resulted in the operator reversing a prior decision to close the school.

The reasons given for closing Westminster were similar to those given by management at The English College, namely that the school was no longer economically viable. Reports in local media suggest that some parents are proposing to suggest a 20% increase in fees to ensure that the school, which has been operating for almost ten years, remains open

Under rules publicly and very transparently laid out by the KHDA, the amount a school is able to to raise its fees is based on a school’s rating, and the cost index increase of running a school. Because the rating determines the multiple of a cost index that is said to have declined by Dubai Statistics Office, schools in the emirate have not been able to raise fees for 2013/14. When contacted by local media for comment KHDA said that they would be issuing a statement on the matter today.