Abu Dhabi private schools set for fee increase

Private schools in Abu Dhabi will be allowed to increase tuition fees by up to 3.94 per cent for the 2023-24 academic year.

That's according to the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), which explained that the fee increase will be "optional" and linked to the school's most recent inspection rating.

Schools that have been ranked ‘outstanding’ in their Irtiqaa inspections for the academic year 2021/22 have the option to increase their tuition fees with a maximum cap of 3.94% in the new academic year, while schools that achieved a rating of ‘very good’ qualify for a 3.38% tuition fee addition.

Schools rated as ‘good’ are permitted to apply a 2.81% increase, and schools rating ‘acceptable’, ‘weak’, and ‘very weak’ can implement a maximum tuition fee increase of 2.25% – reflecting the ECI score.

ADEK added that schools "must operate for a minimum of three years and must adhere to the approved revised fees structure" to be eligible for the fee increase.

According to the latest Irtiqaa inspection results 11 schools were ranked ‘outstanding’, 37 ranked ‘very good’, 85 ranked ‘good’, 63 ranked ‘acceptable’, and 1 ranked ‘weak’.

Abu Dhabi had paused fee increase in private schools for three years "to support parents during the pandemic and recovery period".

The annual Irtiqaa inspections follow the UAE Unified School Inspection Framework and cover six performance standards: students’ achievement; students’ personal and social development and their innovation skills; teaching and assessment; curriculum; protection, care, guidance, and support of students; and leadership and management. Each standard incorporates 17 performance indicators to assess each school’s academic and administrative effectiveness.