The tuition fees payment systems in private schools are a real stalemate for parents, and the absence of the organization and flexibility in the payment systems remains a major obstacle, and the optimal treatment lies in the existence of a clear and unified organizational framework, which reduces this crisis and balances the relationship of schools to parents.
The families of students told «Emirates Today» that the issue of tuition fees and methods of paying them are a source of concern as the head of parents, and despite the efforts of the authorities based on the management and organization of special education in the various emirates of the country, several private schools are still practicing “unfair” policies to collect tuition fees, which weighs The captivity of families and confuses their living budget.
On the other hand, the opinions of school administrations differed, as a segment confirmed that the tuition fees were distributed in three equal installments throughout the school year, from 30 to 35% in each installment, while another segment decided that the guardian is committed to paying the fees according to the controls that the school sets, To enable it to fulfill its operational obligations.
And “Emirates Today” monitored a clear disparity in the directions of the collection of tuition fees in private schools, where schools for payment of 50% of the fees impose in advance before the beginning of the school year, with the rest of the rest in two batches, while others are required to pay full payment in advance, while schools are adopted by more payment systems Flexibility, as fees are divided into three or four batches, and the results showed the absence of a unified framework that regulates the achievement process in the special education sector.
Experts stressed the importance of setting unified controls and mechanisms to regulate the process of paying school installments and their dates, away from the “threat” methods that some schools follow when delaying payment, with the need to balance these controls between the needs of schools and the capabilities of parents, to reduce the controversy and fill the gap of differences in the field.
50 % in advance
In detail, the opinions of students have unanimously agreed that each school is mastering in setting its own controls in the process of paying the tuition fees, without taking into account the circumstances and budgets Their children were imposed on them to pay 50% of the value of the tuition fees for their children at once, at the beginning of the school year, and the rest on two consecutive installments during the study, provided that the entire fees will be paid next March.
They said that the school demands are always accompanied by a “threat” tone and the stopping of services, such as using buses, or preventing the student from studying for a week, in the event of not paying in the dates decided by schools, which exhausts families financially and does not allow them to pre -plan.
They confirmed their inability to pay 50% of the tuition fees as a mandatory installment of fees, especially as they face financial difficulties, and they have more than one student in the various stages of education, with the different tuition fees from one stage to another, and their ability to bear the burdens of high tuition fees, and what they impose School departments of payment installments exceed their capabilities.
instability
Sumaya Salem, Khaled Ibrahim, King Abdullah and Hamdan Selim confirmed that the payment methods that differ from one school to another make parents in the event of instability and continuous suffering and great psychological and financial pressures, especially since some schools aim to collect the fees for the current academic year, and then demand a new part From the fees for the next academic year, despite the fact that the study does not end this year, demanding clear controls that regulate the payment process with justice and transparency that takes into account all parties.
4 challenges
The students ’families summarized: Hussein Abdullah, Maitha Hamdan, Alia Marwan, and Ahmed Farid for« Emirates Today »four challenges facing families, due to the lack of controls to collect students’ fees, the multiplicity of their methods and their difference from one school to another, most notably financial pressures, as most families depend on their monthly salaries To cover its obligations, and the absence of transparency, given the absence of sufficient information about the payment policies before registration, the fines and penalties imposed by some schools in the event of delay in payment are a new challenge, which increases the pressure on parents, and the absence of a unified framework that regulates the payment systems in private schools, This leads to a great disparity between one school and another, and creates a sense of incompatibility between parents.
Private schools respond
“Emirates Today” met a number of school principals, including Humaidan Madi, Khaled Ali and Kholoud Fahmy, to discuss the details of that problem, as they confirmed that the tuition fees are divided in a way that takes into account the financial ability of families, and schools provide multiple facilities for parents, especially those with low incomes.
They explained that the framework for paying the tuition fees in their schools is “Adel”, and takes into account the financial capabilities of the parents, as parents can pay the fees in three equal payments, provided that the first batch is not less than 35% of the total fees, with the exception of books, school dresses and notebooks, which Optionally available.
Budgets and facilities
In response to a question about the details of the operational budget, they explained to «Emirates Today» that it includes the salaries of teachers, operational expenses, educational facilities, and academic programs, and indicated that they are mainly based on tuition fees, but they do not cause increased or decreased installments, and confirmed that The important thing is the guardian’s commitment to pay the full tuition fees before the end of the school year.
They said: «There are facilities provided by schools to parents, especially those with low incomes, such as providing scholarships for outstanding students from limited income families, discounts for families who have more than one son in school, as well Urgent circumstances, all of which are to ensure students’ continuity in the study, regardless of their social or economic situation.
Essential
On the other hand, another segment of private school principals justified, preferring not to reveal their names, obliging parents to pay 50% of the value of the fees and divide the rest into “two batches”, to ensure the stability of schools financially, as the tuition fees are the primary source of the income of those schools, indicating Until the lack of collection of tuition fees completely leads to financial problems that affect the quality of education.
They affirmed that the collection of the first installment by 50% is a guarantee for the continuity of the educational process, as schools need sufficient financial resources to provide high -quality education, and this procedure guarantees the guardian’s commitment to his educational responsibilities towards his children, and helps schools to fulfill operational expenses, such as salaries and others.
Regarding the legality of these policies, they affirmed that setting the appropriate framework for the collection of tuition fees is a truly guarantee of school administrations, in line with their operational plans and conditions, however, they did not provide clear answers regarding their obtaining prior approval from the concerned authorities on the method of payment, and they did not provide a response It is clear that the situation of students who was unable to join the study because of these practices.
On the other hand, some managers believe that the presence of a unified organizational framework may help everyone, and one of them says: “If there are clear and obligatory laws, schools will be able to work with greater flexibility and parents will understand the nature of the regulations.”
Available trends
And revealed the process of monitoring the Emirates Today for the available trends to pay the fees in the field, that there is a difference in the payment methods from one school to another, as the schools of payment of 50% of the value of the fees for the first installment and the rest in two batches stipulated, which hindered large numbers of students to study because of their parents’ inability Especially those who have more than one student in different stages of education.
There are many causes from school administrations, sometimes that simulate the operational budget, and others focusing on scheduling profits so that they are continuing throughout the school year based on the instructions of the owners of those schools.
However, there are more flexible departments in the way of distributing the payment installments, as it came almost equal throughout the academic year by 35% for the first installment, 30% for the second and 35% for the third, so there was a great demand for it by parents away from the total value of the study fees.
4 solutions
Educational expert Abdullah Mustafa proposed four solutions to contain that problem, the most important of which is the unification of payment systems for all private schools, and to determine the number of payments and proportions required in advance, supervision, follow -up and continuous monitoring of those concerned, to ensure transparency and justice, and find greater flexibility and provide payment options that suit all categories, and permanent awareness For everyone with different payment policies before registration.
Data and consultation
The authorities concerned with private education adopt the fees established in accordance with the regulations and evaluations of schools annually, but they have granted the departments the right to schedule the tuition fees, according to the data and consultation with the parents within the framework of the approved contracts.
• Those with students: We face challenges for not having controls for the collection of school fees.
• School administrators: The guardian is obligated to pay the fees according to the schools of the school.
• Educational expert: Payment systems must be unified for all private schools.