DUBAI // Parents at a Dubai school that is set to close next year have again pleaded with the education authority to allow a fee increase for its survival.
Gems last December announced the closure of Westminster, a British curriculum school, after 17 years.
Gems said the school had become “financially unviable” as it could not increase fees by more than 3 per cent under a Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) framework.
The school this week sent a circular to parents, repeating the decision to close.
“The timeline for the closure remains on track for June 2014 and no new enrolment has been registered since,” said Neville Sherman, the principal.
“As many of you may be aware, based on your feedback, Gems has proposed a new fee structure to the local authorities and we will keep you informed of progress.”
A parents’ committee formed to negotiate with operators said it had agreed to an 80 per cent fee rise spread over four years to allow the school to regain financial stability.
The school now charges between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 a year in tuition fees.
“More than 75 per cent of the parent body signed the petition and it was submitted to the rightful authorities,” said Busha Ali, a former student and active member of the school committee.
Ms Ali said it was a tough decision for parents to make but it would be even harder to find an affordable alternative when the school shut.
“We gave in to the pressure for one reason alone: there is no alternative,” she said. “This is the most viable option, considering the costs and complications involved.”
Dr Fahed Mustafa, the father of a Grade 1 pupil at the school, agreed that looking for another school would be a bigger burden.
“Our primary goal is to save the school from closure, so if the authorities allow a 20 per cent increase every year, payment is manageable,” Dr Mustafa said.
Moving children to a new school now would be more expensive, he said, “especially for parents with several children. This increase will still come up to less.”
Westminster has only ever received an Acceptable rating since KHDA inspections began in 2009. Fee regulations in Dubai link increases to the inspection results and inflation in the sector.
The official inflation rate for running a school was calculated at minus 1 per cent this year, meaning no schools will be able to increase fees.
And operators of schools that consistently score below Good and Outstanding in inspections said it was difficult to raise standards on a low fees, ultimately pushing affordable schooling out of the market.
More than seven schools catering to low and middle-income families have closed down in the past three years after poor ratings.
If the status quo continues, the New Indian Model School may be next to shut, said its principal, Dr Mohammed Khan.
“Yes, it is a possibility if we cannot realise our costs, and if we are unable to meet standards then we continually find ourselves here,” Dr Khan said.
The school educates 6,700 children and needs to recoup Dh5 million for a new wing that opened last year, but has not received permission for a fee increase.
Although it was granted a 3 per cent increase, with fees between Dh2,700 and Dh4,500 the school would only be able to ask parents for D15 more.
“Even a 10 per cent increase will be around Dh30, which I believe parents can afford,” said Dr Khan. “We hope the authorities support us in the situation.”
aahmed@thenational.ae
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Name: JustClean
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Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
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Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
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Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
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A cheaper choice
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If you go
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Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
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UAE release: January 31
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The specs
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6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
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9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
