Ignoring the ministry, many private schools increase fees

JEDDAH — Ignoring the Ministry of Education's directive, many private schools across the country have upped their annual fees further increasing financial burden on parents. Ministry officials have recently assured parents that no school would be allowed to increase the fees without its permission. Parents have expressed their amazement over the substantial increase in private school fees this year compared to previous years and urged the ministry to keep a watch on them and take action against them for exorbitantly hiking fees without any genuine reason. “The ministry should also follow up academic performance of private schools to make sure they are moving in the right direction,” said one parent while speaking to Al-Riyadh Arabic daily. Meanwhile, school managers said they were forced to increase fees due to rising salaries of teachers and administrative staff. They also blamed the hike in fees on rising cost of living. Teachers are no longer ready to accept low salaries. As a result schools have to keep experienced teachers to improve quality or appoint fresh teachers who may accept lower salaries. Shayie Al-Yazidi, director of private education at the Education Department in the Asir region, said: “We’ll not allow any private school to increase fees without our approval.” According to him, there is a standard procedure to get fees hike approved. The owner should present an application indicating the percentage of fees hike required. It should be presented electronically to the director of private education. The application will be studied first by the branch committee in light of new expenditures incurred to run the school, including construction of new buildings and classrooms, and improve educational standards. “Applications of schools that have received fees hike in the previous year would not be considered for increase in fees this year,” Al-Yazidi pointed out. Approval to increase fees would be given either fully or partially or conditionally. Disqualified schools’ applications would be rejected. The ministry’s preparatory committee will either approve the application or return to the branch committee to fulfill its observations. The main committee at the ministry will take the final decision on the application and the percentage of fee hike. The application will not cover fees of transport and uniform, Al-Yazidi explained. Ahmed Muafa, director of quality at the Education Department in the Asir region, commended private schools’ role in improving the country’s educational standard. “Many parents prefer to send their children to private schools spending huge amounts of money in terms of fees and other expenses.” However, Muafa opposed the move by some scrupulous private school owners and managers to charge high fees, without following the ministry’s rules and regulations. He also indicated that the quality of education provided by some private schools has declined due to absence of monitors. Abdullah Al-Muzaini, director of private schools in the Riyadh region, said the increase in fees should conform to the quality of education provided by the school and its advanced academic facilities. Ali Hashloul, a parent, said some private schools were charging high fees even after receiving various incentives and financial benefits from the government. He urged the Education Ministry to check the fees charged by schools and the quality of education provided by them.