Economic woes force pupils from education

DUBAI // The financial crisis is forcing many parents who cannot afford increasingly high fees to pull their children out of schools and nurseries, teachers and parents say. Some schools and nurseries say three or four children are dropping out each week. Staff are urging parents to contact them as soon as possible if they start having difficulty paying the fees, which can reach Dh58,000 (US$15,790) a year.

"Our schools are very sympathetic to their plight and we have a responsibility to support the parents who have supported us throughout the years, within the very sensible guidelines given by the department of students" at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said Clive Pierrepont, the director of communications at Taaleem, which runs seven schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "Our advice to parents is to inform their school of any worries as early as possible and keep communications open so the concerned school can deal with difficulties on a case-by-case basis, and work with parents towards a solution."

Khadijah Yuseff, an English teacher, has two children attending the Taaleem-managed Dubai British School in Emirates Hills, where she pays an average of Dh40,000 for her 12-year-old son and Dh35,000 for her nine-year-old son. "Both of my children are losing two to three of their friends on a weekly basis," said Mrs Yuseff. "People in the community can't afford the school fees, especially if one of their parents has lost their job.

"We have been to a few leaving parties and people are just heading back home where education is free for some people." Officials at the International School of Chouiefat and Wesgreen International School have also raised concerns. "We are losing children and we expected that," a teacher at Wesgreen said on the condition of anonymity. "Around three to four children a week are being pulled out of school."

Layla Taha, who works for Special World Nursery in Sharjah, where more than 90 children were registered, said five children have left since the start of the school year. She feared that the number could grow if the economic situation worsened. "We have had people take their children out because they have either lost their jobs and returned home, or opted for home schooling because they no longer can afford to pay the tuition fees," said Mrs Taha, who has one child at Chouiefat and two at Wesgreen.

"At least once or twice a week one of my children comes up to me and says yet another one of his friends is leaving the school and heading home, and that's bad." The head economist of HSBC Middle East, Simon Williams, said children would become victims of the global downturn as parents looked for more affordable education. "The education sector in emerging countries will be affected as people look to cutting costs and governments spend less on education," Mr Williams said.

A report from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said schools were already facing problems with increasing numbers of expatriate parents sending children home for schooling after fees rose significantly last year. It said the numbers of Dubai residents aged 10 to 19 was "unusually low". The report found that secondary school fees had jumped by 25.2 per cent last year, while primary school fees rose by 18.7 per cent. It estimated that fees now range from Dh3,000 up to Dh58,000.

The American School of Dubai, Cambridge High School and the Dubai American Academy have the highest fees and the longest waiting lists, but staff say the lists are shortening. In Abu Dhabi, school fees have risen by as much as 50 per cent. The biggest increases are in kindergarten and primary schools, which is where the demand is greatest. Added Mr Williams of HSBC: "Abu Dhabi is still growing at a fast rate as there is liquidity in the market and projects are on and more people are moving there."

Despite the launch of several schools in the capital, demand for places remains high. Although waiting lists for schools have shortened, most popular schools still have them. "There are now many schools with international standards that have launched in Abu Dhabi and demand for schools remains high," said a senior schoolteacher at Emirates National School, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

She said the school's difficult entry exam made it less accessible. "The school doesn't have a waiting list like the popular British School - Al Khubairat, but the exam is our way of a waiting list." shafez@thenational.ae