Fee hike by private schools angers parents

JEDDAH — Exorbitant tuition fee hike by some private schools and their withholding of exam results of students who fail to clear their fees have evoked an angry reaction on social media. Khalid Al-Alkhami, a social media activist, called on the Ministry of Education to criminalize private schools that embarrass pupils by withholding their results because their guardians fail to pay tuition fees on time. He said that some pupils are not able to continue their education because private schools withhold their certificates. A source at the Ministry of Education told Saudi Gazette that keeping the certificates of pupils to force parents to pay fees is illegal and the principal of the school will be held responsible for this action. The Education Ministry has suspended any increase in tuition fees by private and international schools for two years. Director of Education in Riyadh Abdullah Al-Mani said schools should continue with the tuition fees approved for the academic years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. “Schools are also not allowed to instruct students to buy their uniform from one particular store. Students should have the freedom to buy their uniform from any store they wish,” said Al-Mani. He said uniforms should have general specifications and must be available at reasonable price. “Likewise, students should not be forced to buy their books from a particular shop. Schools should use a widely available set of books so students can buy them from several publishing houses and at suitable prices,” said Al-Mani.