Dubai launches school fees factsheets to give parents a breakdown of all charges

The one-page factsheet includes all fees a school may charge during an academic year

The first day of school after the summer break at the Delhi Private School in The Gardens, Jebel Ali, Dubai. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

Masked pupils learn in a classroom at the Delhi Private School.

Pupils arrive for the first day of the new term at the Delhi Private School.

A pupil gets back into the swing of school with coloured pencils and hand sanitiser at the Delhi Private School.

Teachers and staff greet incoming pupils.

A teacher leads a welcome back activity at the Delhi Private School.

Pupils prepare to learn on the first day of school after the summer break.

Children get organised on the first day of school.

A staff member checks a pupil's temperature.

The first day of school after the summer break at the Delhi Private School.

A pupil shows off his creativity on the first day of school.

Pupils get organised on the first day of the new term at the Delhi Private School.

The first day of school after the summer break at the Delhi Private School.

A staff member performs temperature checks as pupils arrive.

Children arrive at the Delhi Private School for the first day of the new term.

Learning to read at the Delhi Private School.

Teachers and staff members welcome pupils on their first day back at school.

Parents drop children off at the Delhi Private School.

Dubai has introduced a factsheet that will give parents a complete breakdown of the mandatory and optional fees they pay to their child's school in an academic year.

It will provide parents of private school pupils with comprehensive and reliable information about school fees, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said on Wednesday.

The sheet will be a one-page reference that includes all fees a school may charge during an academic year.

This will include the annual tuition fee and other costs related to transportation, extra-curricular activities, school trips, and books, among others.

Parents of pupils in all private schools in Dubai will be able to access the factsheet.

“Dubai is committed to supporting an environment that enables parents, students, and schools to engage with each other and make choices based on clear information,” said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of KHDA.

“Through the school fees factsheet, parents can understand a school’s complete fee structure at a glance. This will help them make better decisions about their children’s schooling.

“When there’s transparency on fees, both parents and schools can better focus on children’s growth. We’re grateful to private schools in Dubai for their support in making the factsheets accessible to their parent communities.”

In the first phase, such sheets will be made available by schools that start their academic year in April this year. It will benefit the parents of more than 81,000 pupils across 35 schools in Dubai.

All Indian curriculum schools start this month.

Schools that start their academic year in September 2022 — British, American, and IB curriculums — will start this service before the close of the current academic year, which is the end of June or the beginning of July.

The school fees factsheet will also include information on discounts and scholarships given by each school, if applicable.