More than a dozen private schools in the UAE are offering discounts and have restructured fees to help families still struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic.
Some schools in Dubai have cut what they charge by 30 per cent to 35 per cent in an attempt to retain and attract new pupils.
Ten new private schools are expected to open in Dubai during the 2021-2022 academic year, increasing the number in the emirate to 220 and creating 15,000 new school places. More than 286,500 pupils study at private schools in the emirate.
We started the move to show solidarity with parents due to the repercussions they suffered because of Covid-19, and decided to continue with our discounts
Ibraheem Barakeh,
Al Shola Schools Group
Nabil Lahir, chief executive of Leams Education, which runs four schools in the UAE, said the group had decided to offer discounts of between 10 per cent and 22 per cent at its schools.
“This is because of the Covid-19 situation – the aim is to help parents," Mr Lahir said.
"Things have improved a lot this year but some families are still struggling. There has been a revision in the market as salaries, overheads, and profit margins have gone down.”
Leams Education will open doors at The Apple International Community School in Karama in the new academic year with more than 100 pupils enrolled, although it can accommodate close to 300.
“We were planning to open the school in September last year, but we had to postpone. People were stuck in their home countries at the time,” Mr Lahir said.
The school group ran surveys to measure how families had been affected by the pandemic and decided to offer discounts ranging from 19 per cent to 22 per cent this year.
Normally annual fees for pupils in foundation stage one are Dh18,500 ($5,037), and pupils in year six pay Dh21,000, so parents can expect to make savings of Dh3,500 to Dh4,000 per year.
Mr Lahir said the new fee structure has proved popular and some parents have transferred their children from more expensive schools.
Schools offering tuition fee discounts
- Renaissance School in Dubai Sports City – 35 per cent discount
- Al Shola Schools Group – 30 per cent discount on tuition fees
- Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai – Founder’s concession of 20 per cent
- The Apple International Community School – 19 per cent to 22 per cent off tuition fees
- Cedar School in Dubai – 15 per cent discount in first year, 10 per cent in second year and 5 per cent in third year
- Smart Vision School in Dubai – 5 per cent to 10 per cent discount on tuition fees
- International Indian School in Abu Dhabi – 25 per cent to 35 per cent discount
Founder's discounts
School discounts have become common in the Emirates during the past few years with some schools offering up to 50 per cent reduction on tuition fees to attract pupils.
Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai (RGS Dubai) will open doors and welcome pupils aged three to 11 this year.
The school announced a 20 per cent discount for pupils who enrol in the 2021-2022 academic year, and those who enrol for this September will get the discount for three years.
Pupils will also get free uniforms in their first year, as well as two extracurricular activities included.
Fees at the school start at Dh60,000 for foundation stage one pupils and go up to Dh77,600 for pupils in year six.
The impact of Covid-19
Craig Lamshed, principal at RGS Dubai, said: “As a new school opening in Dubai, we created a founder’s package designed to give back to our new community, especially in these times of uncertainty.”
Renaissance School in Dubai is offering a 35 per cent discount to existing and new pupils in the current academic year. Pupils who enrol in kindergarten to grade five will get a 35 per cent discount until they reach grade six.
Fees after discount at the school range from Dh22,750 in pre-kindergarten to Dh35,750 in year six.
Cedar School, which will open its doors this year, is committed to giving families a 15 per cent discount this year, a 10 per cent discount next year, and a 5 per cent concession the year after.
International Indian School has reduced the fees it had approved by the Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) by 25 per cent to 35 per cent.
This discount means, for example, that parents of children in grade one pay Dh10,500 a year, although the Adek-approved fees were Dh14,300. Pupils in grade nine, meanwhile, are charged Dh11,500, although the school could have charged Dh18,400 for the year.
Supporting parents with lower fees
Al Shola Schools Group, which runs five schools in Sharjah and Ajman, are offering 30 per cent off tuition fees.
They started offering a 20 per cent discount on annual fees last year but decided to continue the scheme in 2021 with additional discounts.
“We started the move to show solidarity with parents due to the repercussions they suffered because of Covid-19, and decided to continue with our discounts,” said Ibraheem Barakeh, director of Al Shola Schools Group.
He said they have always had discounts for high-achieving pupils and siblings, but last year they decided to help parents by extending these reductions to all pupils.
“Our decision has nothing to do with losing pupils or wanting to attract new ones, it's purely a translation of what is constantly repeated by educational institutions about how parents are partners," he said.
“How can we prove that, and ensure that it's not just a slogan, if we didn’t come up with decisions that respond to the needs and circumstances of parents."
Last year’s discounts of 20 per cent amounted to more than Dh20 million, he said. The school's groups had 9,350 pupils across various institutions.
“Planning ahead for this academic year nearly four months ago, we saw how people were still suffering so we decided on a 30 per cent discount for all of our pupils, the existing and the new ones," he said.
Reductions currently offered by the school range between nearly Dh1,600 to Dh4,600 from kindergarten to grade 12.
Rewarding loyalty with reductions
Repton Al Barsha announced the reduction in its tuition fees for the 2021-2022 academic year in November last year. Fees for pupils in foundation stage one to year six were reduced by up to 16 per cent.
Parents of children in senior school have also been offered discounts of about 15 per cent for existing parents and 10 per cent for new parents.
Collegiate American School has been renamed Collegiate International School after it introduced the International Baccalaureate primary years and middle year programmes ahead of the new academic year.
The school has cut its fees by an average of 25 per cent since last year. This year, fees range from Dh33,000 to Dh60,000.
Bruce Major, superintendent at the school, said the institution's authorities decided to change the fee structure in response to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, as well as to attract pupils.
He said that like other schools, they had some pupils move back to their home countries during the pandemic or move schools as families sought lower-fee institutions.
Pupils and school staff get vaccinated in Abu Dhabi - in pictures
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin%20electric%20motors%20and%20105kWh%20battery%20pack%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E619hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUp%20to%20561km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ3%20or%20Q4%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh635%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Read more about the coronavirus
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
The years Ramadan fell in May
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The view from The National
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
