Dubai publishes school inspection results, new fees to follow

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is set to announce its latest cost index regulating school fees after publishing inspection results on Tuesday.

The government body said 14 of the 166 private schools it inspected this academic year were rated outstanding, 27 very good, 68 good, 51 acceptable and six weak.

This compared to 16 rated as outstanding, 14 very good, 69 good, 50 acceptable and 10 weak in inspections of 159 institutions last academic year.

None were rated very weak in the two annual inspections and the proportion of students attending good or better schools has more than doubled in the last 10 years, the authority said.

Last year’s ratings meant schools could increase fees by 2.4-4.8 per cent per cent under Dubai’s calculation index but many chose to maintain or even decrease rates amid competition concerns and affordability concerns from parents.

Read: Nearly two thirds of Dubai schools can increase fees by 3.6% or more

Gulf News reports that some schools have even chosen to decrease rates for the coming academic year as families absorb cost increases linked to a 5 per cent value added tax introduced this year.

Read: UAE residents less confident about finances as living costs rise

KHDA has said it will publish the new Education Cost Index regulating school fees “soon”.

The full 2018 inspection results came be found in the KHDA report.