Parents at IB school launch fee protest

Uptown School says school is losing money and it needs cash need to maintain standards.

DUBAI // Parents of pupils at an International Baccalaureate primary school are protesting against a 16 per cent fee increase, in the latest in a series of similar conflicts at schools across the emirate. Uptown School, run by the for-profit firm Taaleem, announced last month that it would increase its fees by 16 per cent from September.

More than 140 parents have signed an open letter to Taaleem, asking the company to justify its decision. They are demanding it open its books to show why the increase is necessary. The rise was announced in mid-May, just after Taaleem received permission from the Ministry of Education to raise its fees. Parents say that was too late to move their children to other schools in time for the next school year, which starts in September.

Clive Pierrepont, the company's director of communications, said rising costs made the increase unavoidable. "Commercial rents have not dropped and have increased on average between three and eight per cent per annum," he said. "We have not decreased our housing cash allowances to our teachers." He added that the company had provided extensive information on its finances to the ministry. "Taaleem submitted comprehensive, audited financial accounts to the authorities," he said.

"We have shared the summaries of all of our schools accounts through our advisory boards and in financial extracts to parents. We have been very transparent in our financial declarations." Parents, however, remain unconvinced, and many suspect the company is raising fees to satisfy shareholders or fund other projects. "It just seems so excessive," said Christopher Little, a Briton who works at the department of Civil Aviation and has a seven-year-old daughter at the school.

"Taaleem are claiming that at Uptown they are losing money, but just on fees alone they will generate over Dh31m." A mother, who asked to remain anonymous, added: "The fee increase for next year is just ridiculous. There is no justification at all for the increases and as parents I think the main thing is we want to know why are they increasing." Jacque Webb, an operations manager at a travel company, will be paying an extra Dh6,000 next year for her child to attend Uptown.

"A lot of companies are cutting hours, cutting wages, everything has come gone down across the UAE except school fees," said the South African. "We would like them to open the books to us and show us exactly what they are increasing. "Is it because they are building a new high school in JBR? Is it because shareholders are not making profits? What is it? "There is nothing added extra for the kids. There is not a bigger swimming pool or playing field. Why are they raising the fees?"

Mrs Webb and many others said they would rather see the company cut costs. Mr Pierrepont, of Taaleem, said reducing costs was not an option, adding that the present fees were not enough to sustain the school's operation. "Taaleem has consciously supported the development of the school throughout the most critical phases of its early growth. "This support has included committing over 90 per cent of the total school fee income to support staff salaries during past four years, which has resulted in cumulative losses in excess of Dh33 million.

"Uptown continues to suffer losses despite operating at near capacity. "Clearly this is not a sustainable model for the future and firm financial foundations must be laid to continue Uptown Primary School's planned development and strategic growth." The parents dispute the company's figures, alleging that Taaleem's claim to have spent 90 per cent of fee revenue on staff salaries "appears to be wildly incorrect".

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