Private schools will not be able to increase their tuition fees next academic year, Dubai’s education regulator said on Thursday.
The announcement from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority was prompted by the results of the annual Education Cost Index, calculated by the Dubai Statistics Centre at -2.35 per cent.
Mohammed Darwish, head of KHDA’s regulations and permits commission said the move “prioritises the interests of students and parents and encourages investment in the education sector by allowing schools to develop long-term growth plans, as well as motivating existing schools to improve the quality of education they offer”.
“The Education Cost Index provides complete transparency to both families and investors and balances expectations.”
Over the past seven years, 72 schools have opened in Dubai in which more than more than 70,000 additional pupils have enrolled — a 31 per cent increase in the number of pupils attending private schools.
The annual KHDA School Fees Framework allows schools to increase fees depending on their inspection results and the ECI. The ECI of -2.35 per cent means that fees will remain unchanged for the 2020/21 academic year.
Some private schools may be eligible for an exception, the regulator said.
Enrolment at Dubai’s private schools increased by 2.9 per cent last year, according to the latest education landscape report.
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