Parents are frustrated at news that private school fees could rise by at least 2.4 per cent for the next academic year.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority said on Sunday that the best-performing private schools in Dubai could raise their fees by up to 4.8 per cent.
Many parents were disappointed because their already tight budgets would have to be stretched further to pay for the increases.
Sindhu Pillai, from India, plans to move her daughter, 16, to a different school next academic year so that she can study the subjects she has chosen.
"We are paying about Dh15,000 at Our Own English High School, but having looked at the other schools it looks like we will have to pay much more when she moves," said Mrs Pillai. "Every year schools keep increasing their fees, so it’s getting more and more difficult for parents on a limited budget to find schools that are in their price range."
JSS Private School is one option that Mrs Pillai is considering, with existing Grade 11 fees at Dh19,695.
The latest KHDA inspection report rated the school as "good", which means that fees could go up by as much as 3.6 per cent for the next academic year.
"We will have to make cutbacks and sacrifices on our spending to be able to afford these fees, so it is a worry," Mrs Pillai said. "One of the frustrating things is that even though the fees go up, the quality of the education doesn’t really follow suit. If schools increase fees they should at least reduce the number of pupils in classes."
The Education Cost Index (ECI) is calculated by Dubai Statistics Centre and allows schools to raise fees based on their performance in KHDA inspections.
Schools rated as "outstanding" can choose to increase fees by twice as much as the ECI’s base rate, or 4.8 per cent.
"Very good" schools can boost tuition costs by 1.75 times the ECI, and "good" schools by 1.5 times. Schools classed as "acceptable", "weak" or "very weak" can increase fees only by the ECI’s 2.4 per cent base rate.
An Indian mother with a son in Year 12 at Emirates International School in The Meadows said the news was worrying.
"We’re paying just over Dh70,000 for my son and the thought of another increase is something I’m dreading," she said. "We already pay so much money and then the teachers leave and temporary staff get used, and it’s very frustrating."
Continuing fee rises and static salaries for most people were causing a huge drain on household incomes, she said.
"Fees increase while people are losing their jobs, so I just can’t see why they are justified. I know there are running costs and you need to attract and keep hold of the best staff, but teachers continue to leave. We aren’t getting new buildings or subjects," she said.
The mother said a friend had returned to Canada because of the increasing cost of education in Dubai, and the Canadian friend was now paying less for a better quality of education.
But Jeff Evans, managing director of Learning Key Educational Consultancy, said the fee rises were fair because schools had to meet rising operational costs, as well as recruit and train teachers.
"Some mid to high-fee schools are offering comparable standards of education to the high-profile ‘big name’ premium-fee schools, so I would encourage parents to read inspection reports carefully," he said.
"All schools that increase fees need to reinvest the additional funds wisely in areas that directly benefit the quality of education. Parents are customers and must be convinced that their investment in education provides good value for money and is not just additional profit for individual owners or larger companies."
Mark Steed, director of Jumeirah English Speaking School Dubai, said the subject of school fees was emotive but the ECI was an important tool to "protect parents from profiteering".
He said it could be argued that "good schools have the income to get even better, whereas weaker schools are caught in a poverty trap by not having the capital to make necessary improvements".
Mr Steed added: "All schools should be transparent about the percentage of school fees that goes on profit to the investors, so that prospective parents can make an informed choice of school.
"At Jumeirah English Speaking School Dubai, we publish these data on our website and 100 per cent of any annual surplus is reinvested in the school."

Source: The National