Parents of students confirmed that public schools have become the most suitable alternative for Emirati and resident families, in light of the exaggerated prices of private schools, and said that they adopt advanced educational trends and paths that simulate future specializations, ultimately achieving high-quality outcomes with “satisfactory” fees that suit all segments of society.
They explained to “Emirates Today” that the largest portion of private school expenses is for non-educational services such as projects, trips, and curricular and extracurricular activities, and they indicated that about 40% of the expenses they pay are focused on the educational process.
Government school principals confirmed the increase in enrollment applications, in addition to the high rate of student transfer requests from “private” to “governmental” over the years, which prompted administrations to search for solutions to accommodate the huge number of students, especially Emiratis, in a clear indication of the quality of government education.
On the other hand, principals of private schools with different curricula believe that student transfers are a normal phenomenon, which does not mean that private schools have become a repellent environment, as transfers fall within the framework of the parents’ financial capabilities, and have nothing to do with quality or a decline in the level of services and quality of outputs.
Emirates Today’s readings of the scene, which was based on field reality data, revealed an increasing demand for government schools, which reflects a noticeable shift in the trends of Emirati and resident families, who seek education that combines high quality and appropriate cost, which is what government schools were able to achieve through Providing a comprehensive educational experience that meets students’ aspirations with “satisfactory” fees that suit families’ financial capabilities.
In detail, the parents: Saeed Al-Taniji, Maitha Hamdan, Ali Sadaqat, and Maha Al-Jasmi, confirmed that private education has become a financial burden on families, as tuition fees in some private schools far exceed the value of the services provided, whether educational or supportive, which imposes Parents need to look for more sustainable alternatives.
They said that only 40% of the expensive tuition fees for private schools are focused on the educational process, and the rest is for non-educational services.
They pointed out that continuous requests, such as projects, trips, and class and extracurricular activities, increase the financial burden, expressing their dissatisfaction with some private school administrations that require them to purchase equipment and tools, and pay fees for activities and services that are not actually provided.
They explained that their children lack stability as a result of the constant changes in teaching staff, as some private schools replace teachers frequently, which negatively affects their children’s academic levels and leads to a decline in their performance.
They said: “We cannot ignore the fundamental differences between public and private schools, as public education focuses on quality, serves the interest of the student without additional financial burdens, and provides diverse educational styles and distinct educational outcomes, unlike private schools that aim only to achieve profits.”
They explained that the high evaluations of public schools have strengthened parents’ confidence in public education as an option that meets the needs of their children academically and psychologically.
Mahran Jaafar, Alia Abdel Zaher, Hamda Al Ali, Mona Abdullah, and Ihab Ziadeh said: “Government education is pulling the rug from under the feet of (private), as our children have recently moved to government schools, after we previously suffered from high private school fees and repeated requests.” For educational equipment and supplies, which caused us a great financial burden, while public education provided us with quality and comfort without feeling anxiety and instability.”
They said that public education provides an integrated educational environment that includes qualified staff and modern educational platforms, which is what we lack in private schools that suffer from constant changes in their staff.
A number of public school principals, who preferred not to mention their names, reported that the transfer of students from private schools has increased significantly year after year, since the “Corona” pandemic in 2020, as transfers exceeded the specified percentage for non-citizen students approved by the Ministry of Education.
Regarding the reasons for the significant demand for students to transfer from private to public education, they explained that the readiness of public schools played a major role in changing the attitudes of parents, who had previously focused on private schools with their different curricula.
In addition to the distinguished results achieved by public education students, the available capabilities that exceed the equipment of many private schools, the qualified educational competencies, as well as the appropriate tuition fees for resident students, which do not constitute a burden on families.
On the other hand, private school principals believe that these transformations are not a crisis of confidence, nor are they an indication of a decline in the quality of private education, but rather a result of economic conditions and different priorities among families.
The director of a private school (Khuloud F.) confirmed that students’ transfer to public education is not a new matter, but rather related to the economic conditions of families, especially during the past few years. She pointed out that private schools provide various educational services that meet the needs of students.
The director of a private school (Walid L.) explained that private school administrations are studying the reasons for students’ transfer to public education, and he said: “We are aware that families seek to get real value for what they pay, so we are working to develop our plans to improve the quality of education and attract distinguished educational cadres who provide the best What students can.
Emirates Today’s readings of the scene, according to data in the educational field, revealed the Ministry of Education’s focus on expanding the scope of government schools in the various emirates of the country, while providing advanced educational paths that simulate future specializations.
The Ministry did not address the imposition of additional fees on educational services, while providing flexible mechanisms for paying fees that do not exceed 6,000 dirhams, including textbooks and school transportation services. It launched programs that address the problems of skills among students who need improvement, which makes the educational process more stable, attractive, and flexible. With expectations of high quality output.
The increasing demand for government schools reflects a noticeable shift in the priorities of Emirati and resident families, who seek education that combines high quality and appropriate cost, which is what government schools were able to achieve by providing a comprehensive educational experience that keeps pace with students’ aspirations and with “satisfactory” fees that suit the families’ financial capabilities. .
Decline in student numbers
Emirates Today learned that private schools were greatly affected due to the decline in the number of their students, and they lost more than half of their students due to the transfer to public schools, with enrollment decreasing from 1,000 to 550 students in some cases, and from 600 to 220 students in others.
Absence of problems
Educators confirmed to Emirates Today that the reasons for the increase in the transfer of students from private to public schools are due to the efficiency of the latter in applying multiple styles of learning, the quality of its outputs, and its distinguished services that do not constitute burdens on families’ expenses and budgets, and the absence of problems that hinder the continuity of teaching and learning. .
Parents of students:
. Public education focuses on quality without financial burdens, offers diverse educational styles, and increasing activities in private schools increases the value of their expenses.
Public school principals:
. Readiness, improved curricula, student results, and appropriate fees have changed parents’ attitudes.
Private school principals:
. Student migration is about families’ capabilities, and we seek to provide quality education for the value we get.