Dubai: Private schools to increase fees from next academic year

Abu Dhabi: Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced on Friday that private schools can increase tuition fees for the next academic year.

Tuition fees for private schools in Dubai were frozen for the last three consecutive academic years.

“Taking into account the current economic and academic situation in Dubai, the approved rate for fee increase at Dubai private schools for the 2023-24 academic year is set at 3 percent,” KHDA tweeted.

The rate by which fees can be hiked is tied to each school’s most recent inspection rating from the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau.

Methodology outlined by KHDA to increase school fees

• Private schools that maintain the same inspection rating will be allowed to increase their fees by 3 percent

• Schools that improve their rating from “weak” to “acceptable” and from “acceptable” to “good” can increase fees by up to 6 percent

• Schools that move from “good” to “very good” can increase fees by 5.25 percent

• Schools that improve from “very good” to “outstanding” can apply a 4.5 percent rise

• Schools that fall lower in the annual rankings will not be eligible for any fee increase

Dubai-based private school giant GEMS announced on Friday that it will increase the salaries of faculty members. “We are pleased to confirm also today that we will be implementing teacher salary increases in April for our Indian curriculum schools and in September for our International schools,” Dino Varkey, Group CEO of GEMS Education told Arabian Business.