Dubai school fees soar by up to Dh5,000: How are parents coping with the hike?

Time of India

19 hours ago

As Dubai school fees increase by up to Dh5,000, parents are adjusting by paying upfront for discounts or considering school transfers.
A wave of school fee hikes has been announced across Dubai, leaving parents to either adapt to the higher costs or consider alternative schooling options. While some families are grappling with increases of up to Dh5,000 annually for each child, others are managing more modest hikes of a few hundred dirhams.
Despite the widespread rise in fees, many parents are exploring ways to cope, from paying annual fees in lump sums to researching more affordable institutions.
Fee Hikes: What's Driving the Increase?
In May 2025, Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) approved a 2.35% increase in the Education Cost Index (ECI) for private for-profit schools for the 2025-2026 academic year. This decision allows schools to adjust their fees based on individual school grades, as determined by the results of the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) and the ECI.
The change impacts families across Dubai, who have started receiving notifications about the fee increases.
The adjustment is part of a broader effort to account for inflation, rising operational costs, and other financial pressures faced by schools. However, while some parents are facing steep increases, others are relieved by more manageable hikes.
A Mixed Reaction from Parents
Many parents are already feeling the financial strain of the fee hikes. For example, Manal, a Dubai resident with children attending an Indian syllabus school in Al Quoz, shared that her family's total fee increase will amount to Dh400 per year for both of her children. 'I am very glad that the increase is manageable and not a huge burden,' Manal said. 'We had budgeted for an increase this year so we were not caught off-guard,'
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In contrast, some families are facing much steeper hikes. Vivek, an Indian expat with two children enrolled in a premium school, revealed that his children's school fees currently range from Dh87,000 to Dh92,000 annually. The recent fee hike will cost him an additional Dh10,000 per year for both children. 'However, our school gives the option of paying the entire year's fees in one go,' Vivek said. 'This has given us a lump sum discount, so the total fee increase for me has come to about Dh3,000 per year for both children.
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Meanwhile, other parents like German expatriate Greta, whose three children attend a British syllabus school in Jumeirah, are feeling the squeeze. 'I got the email yesterday that my school fees have been hiked by Dh2,000 per child per annum,' Greta shared. 'That's a total increase of Dh6,000 per year in school fees alone. The books, uniforms, and other study material are not included in that.' Greta admits that she cannot consider switching schools because her eldest child will be entering Year 11 in the upcoming academic year.
Instead, she and her husband are adjusting by cutting back on some extracurricular activities to offset the additional costs.
The Growing Need for Affordable Options
For some parents, the fee hikes have become too much to bear, prompting them to consider transferring their children to more affordable schools. Mohammed Iqbal, whose children attend a British syllabus school in Qusais, expressed relief as his school's increase was relatively modest, Dh1,200 annually.
'I was expecting a little more than that, so I am very happy,' he remarked.
On the other hand, parent R.M., whose children attend another British syllabus school, has seen fee increases two years in a row. 'Last year, our school increased fees by 4.55%, and this year again, they announced a 2.35% hike,' R.M. explained. 'While I understand that the cost for businesses is going up, it puts a burden on parents because unfortunately, salaries don't increase at the same rate as the costs.
I began researching schools as soon as I heard about the fee hike, but then soon realized that changing schools would bring with it a fresh set of challenges.
So we decided to stay put at our current one.'
Umm Mohammed, another Dubai parent, decided to move her daughter to a more affordable school before the fee hike was announced. 'We were paying over Dh55,000 in annual fees at our previous school,' she recalled. 'It was already the higher upper limit of what we could afford.
So last year, we decided to move her to another school. Now we pay Dh30,000 inclusive of school fees, uniforms, and books. When the announcement of the school fees came, I was relieved.
At our previous school, the fee increase would have been really difficult for us. But now, the fee increase is about Dh1,000 per annum. It is very manageable for us. I think it was the best decision to move her," she added.
The Bigger Picture: Dubai's Expanding Private School Sector
Dubai's private school sector has been booming, with a 12% increase in student enrollment recorded in the 2023-2024 academic year.
As of the latest figures, Dubai has 227 private schools serving 387,441 students from 185 different nationalities. The rise in student numbers has likely contributed to the increased demand for private education and the subsequent fee hikes.
Despite the challenges, many parents still find value in Dubai's private education system, with some schools offering flexible payment options to help mitigate the financial strain. The diverse offerings of schools, from international curricula to specialized programs, also give parents more choices, though finding an affordable option in the current climate can be challenging.