Select private schools in Dubai can increase fees by 3% for new academic year

Certain private schools in Dubai would be eligible for a 3 per cent increase in tuition fees for the 2023-24 academic year.

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

The rate by which schools can increase their fees is tied to their most recent inspections rating. Under the School Fees Framework, private schools whose ratings have dropped will not be eligible to increase their fees

— KHDA | هيئة المعرفة والتنمية البشرية بدبي (@KHDA) March 10, 2023

The announcement was made by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) on Friday.

Private schools in the emirate that will maintain the same inspection rating will be allowed to increase their fees by 3 per cent, as per the School Fees Framework.

Schools whose inspection rating has dipped will not be eligible for any fee hike. However, those schools that improve their rating in the most recent inspections will be eligible to increase their fees according to the methodology in the fee framework.

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%.

— KHDA | هيئة المعرفة والتنمية البشرية بدبي (@KHDA) March 10, 2023

KHDA said that “the approved fee increase takes into account the economic situation of the emirate, as well as the operational cost of running a private school while maintaining the quality of education”.

“The School Fees Framework emphasises the quality of education offered by schools as the foundation for any adjustments allowed in school fees. The framework also provides transparency for families and offers them a choice of schools that match their financial and academic requirements,” said Mohammed Darwish, CEO of permits and compliance sector at KHDA.

“The framework was developed to allow schools to develop long-term growth plans while sustaining their current operations to provide a high quality of education to students.”

Tuition fees in private schools across Dubai have been locked for the past three academic years.

Read: Private schools in Dubai will not increase tuition fee for 2022-23 academic year

Enrolment at Dubai private schools has increased by 4.5 per cent since the last academic year, KHDA said. A total of 22 new private schools have opened across the emirate in the last three years, bringing the total number to 216.

Last year, KHDA introduced a fact sheet for parents offering comprehensive fee information. It was initially introduced across 35 institutions in Dubai and later last year, was made available for all private schools across the emirate, listing all approved fees and costs, such as transportation, extra-curricular activities, school trips and books, among others.

Read: Fees fact sheet now available for all private schools in Dubai