Bus fees to be refunded during online classes
dubai — All schools in Dubai must refund the Term 3 bus fees to parents, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has ruled.
The KHDA directive implies that Term 1 bus fee of all Indian and Pakistani schools will also be refunded as their new academic session is due to begin on April 5.
The education watchdog said that these directives are aimed at balancing the needs of parents and schools in these unprecedented times. Similarly, the Sharjah Private Authority (SPA) has also issued a decision asking schools to return transportation, nutrition and any other fees that will not benefit students until the end of the current school year.
An official at the Sharjah Private Authority confirmed that the fees collected will be limited to the tuition fees for the third semester of all private schools in the Emirate of Sharjah for all curriculum.
dubai — Schools have the right to suspend the distance learning programmes of students whose parents do not comply with ‘agreeable’ payment plans set by schools.
This is in line with the latest circular issued to all schools by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
According to the circular, schools have the right to withhold distance learning provision for students whose parents have not paid fees, nor come to a payment agreement with schools.
The circular, signed by Mohammad Darwish, CEO of Permits and Compliance at the KHDA, said: “We advise schools to contact parents who have not yet paid Term 3 fees to offer the option of a payment plan that is agreeable to both the school and the parent, so that children’s education is able to continue uninterrupted.”
Students across the country are continuing their education via elearning as actual classes remain suspended until the end of this academic year.
These recent directives are aimed at balancing the needs of parents and schools. This also comes after parents have repeatedly requested the authorities to consider partial waiver of fees or offer needful relaxations during this period.
They mainly flagged concerns over transportation fees, uniforms and textbooks that children were not availing due to online learning.
Many had also said that in the absence of children in the school premises, various facilities like swimming pools, gyms and libraries were not in use.
Acknowledging parental concerns, some school authorities had also revealed their limitations, saying institutions needed to take pragmatic decisions.
They had earlier cited schools couldn’t take a unilateral decision on this matter as the institutions’ revenues were directly proportional to school fees.