Asian Schools May Hike Fees

DUBAI, Nov 03, 2009 (Khaleej Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- MGSY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Asian schools continue to operate on low fee structures said a senior official of Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), not ruling out a further increase in fees to correct the 'lag' created over the years between development and cost of education.

"The prices that we operate on have become redundant," said Dr Farooq Wasil, director of Asian schools group told Khaleej Times.

"Over a period of time it will even be difficult to manage them... so we need to look at price models of today."

He said fee caps have caused a mismatch between cost and the development over the years. "We were given increments in small pieces. Old schools were struggling and the correction was never done, creating a lag," he said.

Detailing the changes Asian curricula schools have witnessed in the last 25 years, he said there are new norms and equipment to bring them at par with counterparts at schools following other international curricula. "Now all teachers at our Asian schools have a laptop."

Last year, Asian schools were granted a 10 per cent fee increase by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai.

Schools in the other emirates have also increased fees by up to 20 per cent for the current academic year. The hikes that came at a time of economic instability had many parents question the intentions of education providers as profit making entities.

Dr Wasil said a regulated fee structure meant, at one point the schools were unable to increase the fees and the entire cost had to be absorbed. "When we enhanced the salaries, it went to almost 36 per cent because the baseline scales went up," he said. "While we did get some increase, our costs were so high that we could never manage."

On an average, the cost of education at an Indian school costs between Dh4,000 to Dh10,000.

The Dubai Modern High School under the group, upped its fees by 90 per cent this year when it shifted to a new campus making it one of the most expensive Indian curriculum schools in Dubai.

GEMS has 11 schools in the UAE that follow the Indian curricula in the Central Board of Secondary Education and Indian School Certificate Examination streams.

At the beginning of the academic year, the provider reported waiting lists with more than 1,000 students at its Asian schools.

As the standard of living elevated in the country, parents expectations have changed and the current fee points pose a challenge to offer facilities said Dr Wasil.

GEMS established its first school, Our Own Indian High School, Dubai in 1968 and educates more than 7,000 students at each school.

The education provider states that quality has never been compromised but, "our resources are stretched beyond capacity for these schools."

With the launch of inspections at Asian schools in Dubai later this month, striving to meet standards laid down by the education authority while operating at low fee structures will be a test for many Asian schools.

The inspection mechanism devised by the school education authority in Dubai in 2008 seeks to improve the quality of education in the emirate and judges them on seven key criteria.

However, as part of the process a fee increase is linked to the grade a school receives, which education providers said traps them in a vicious circle of limited progress.

This year, Asian schools that were exempt owing to a difference in the start of their academic year in 2008, will be inspected later this month.

"Our price points are already low and when the fee increase is linked to inspections this creates a further gap," said Dr Wasil.

Many education providers have raised their discontent over the KHDA's decision to link fee increases to the inspections grades.

After the first cycle of inspections, "Outstanding" schools were allowed a 15 per cent fee increase while "Unsatisfactory" schools were allotted a 10 per cent fee hike.

"If you want to drive quality there is a underpinned cost. If you do not have good resources, it will impact the quality of learning. If you do not involve quality teachers at a price and do not have leadership in resource and development, it will impact quality," he said.

afshan@khaleejtimes.ae

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