No Fee Increase In Dubai Schools For 2021-22 Academic Year: KHDA

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) on 15 March announced that private schools in Dubai will not be increasing tuition fees for the 2021-22 academic year. This is the second consecutive year that fees for Dubai schools have remained steady.

.@KHDA announces that private schools in Dubai will not be increasing tuition fees for the 2021-22 academic year. This is the second consecutive year that fees for Dubai schools have remained steady.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 15, 2021

The announcement follows the release of the annual Education Cost Index (ECI) calculated by the Dubai Statistics Centre, which measures annual changes in the costs of running a school, including salaries, rent and utilities. The ECI for this year stands at -2.58%.

Mohammed Darwish, CEO of the Regulations and Permits Commission at KHDA, said, “This announcement shows Dubai’s commitment to ensuring that the private school sector continues to deliver value to parents, investors and school operators. The ECI is a sophisticated measure of schools’ operating costs that governs how schools are able to increase their fees. For everyone in our education community, Dubai’s private school sector remains dynamic, resilient, and well placed to nurture the growth and wellbeing of students.”

The Education Cost Index and the Fee Framework were developed in 2012 in collaboration with Dubai Government entities, including Dubai Statistics Centre, Department of Economic Development and Dubai Chamber of Commerce, among others.

Dubai’s private school sector demonstrated its resilience and growth potential with student enrolment increasing by 2.6 per cent in the last three months, as per the latest education landscape report released by KHDA. Dubai has seen the opening of 25 new schools over the past three years, taking the total number of private schools to 210.

KHDA Changes Age Requirements For Kids Enrolling In Dubai Private Schools

What Are The Changes?

Age requirements will change for new students enrolled in FS1 or Pre-KG. Children enrolling in FS1 or Pre-KG in schools starting in September must be three years old on or before August 31 of that year. Children enrolling in Pre-KG in schools starting in April must be three years old on or before March 31 of that year.

Children enrolling in FS2 or KG1 must be four years old on or before August 31 for schools starting in September. Children enrolling in KG1 in schools starting in April must be four years old on or before March 31. Similarly, children enrolling in Year 1 or KG2 must be five years old on or before August 31 for schools starting in September. Children enrolling in KG2 in schools starting in April must be five years old on or before March 31.

The MoE resolution stipulates that all students currently enrolled at private schools in the UAE are not affected by the change. This includes students who enrol for the final term of the 2020/21 academic year.

Schools that start the academic year in September, in line with MoE Resolution no (24).

Schools that start the academic year in April, in line with MoE Resolution no (24).

When Will This Change Come Into Effect?

For schools that start in September, this change will be applicable from the start of the 2021/22 academic year in September 2021. For schools that start in April, this change will be applicable from the start of the 2022/23 academic year in April 2022.