Exam boards have defended a move not to scrap fees despite taking the decision to cancel tests because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials argued various administrative costs continued to justify their charges, which in some cases can amount to thousands of dirhams.
Boards said they understood exams fees remained a “pressing issue” for many parents given the unique current circumstances of mass school closures.
Some said they would consider refunding costs at a later date while others announced they would freeze fees rather than raising prices.
“We understand fees are a pressing issue for many schools and families following the cancellation of exams this summer,” said a spokesman for Pearson Edexcel, a board that sets international GCSE exams in 80 counties, including the UAE.
“As well as paying for the writing and marking of exams and the moderation or verification of non-examined assessment, exam fees pay for the provision of comprehensive support and training.
“We’re working hard to understand the full impact of the cancellation of the 2020 exam series.
“Once we fully understand how this impacts on all aspects of our fees and associated costs, we are committed to returning any costs not incurred back to customers.”
Distance learning has become the new normal for millions of pupils around the world since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Governments had no choice but to take the draconian measure to close schools as part of efforts to reduce infection rates.
In the Emirates, education authorities announced schools would shut in March and instead launched a range of online learning platforms.
Some schools reacted by agreeing to offer discounts on fees, providing much-needed financial assistance to families, some of whom lost jobs as a result of the pandemic.
Repton in Dubai and British School Al Khubairat (Bsak) in Abu Dhabi – two of the country's highest-ranked schools – both cut fees by 15 per cent, for example.
Yet despite these school fee reductions, exam boards themselves have proved less willing to alter their cost structures.
One parent said he had been forced to pay more than Dh2,500 for his child to sit three exams, none of which had taken place.
In a statement to The National, Cambridge Assessment International Education said it was doing everything it could to support schools and pupils.
The UK-based exam board operates across 160 countries in nine regions, providing education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19-year-olds.
“We will be helping schools further by freezing our standard fees for the November 2020 exam series at the same level as the standard June 2020 exam series fees,” a spokeswoman said.
“Our first priority has always been for the safety of students and those working in schools.
“We have worked hard to put in place the systems and processes to allow us to standardise and award grades in the June series, enabling students to move forward with their future study and career plans.”
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Coronavirus: latest pictures from the UAE
The specs
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
