Parents Offer To 'Pay Double' To Keep School Open

A group of parents have approached GEMS the operator of Westminster School and have offered to pay double the existing fees to keep the school open, according to press reports.

GEMS announced in an email to parents that the school would close in 2014 as it was financially unsustainable to continue operating.  The British-curriculum school, which has 4,800 pupils, has been rated only “Acceptable” in four consecutive years of inspections by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which means it may not raise its fees by no more than 3 per cent.

Following the appeal by parents GEMS has made a second appeal to KHDA, the private education regulator, for permission to raise fees to a level that will allow it to continue operating.

“Over the past few days we have received many calls from Westminster parents indicating that they would pay up to double the fees to keep the school open,” said a Gems spokesman.

“We have now submitted a new fee structure to the KHDA requesting a special concession to increase fees in a phased approach,” he said.

“Gems believes that even with this new fee structure the school will still be one of the more affordable K-12 British curriculum schools in Dubai.”