Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has implemented legally binding contracts between schools and parents across over 24 schools in Dubai for the 2015-16 academic year.
According to KHDA, parent-school contract is a new way to reduce disagreements between both parties to benefit students, assure a stronger relationship between them, and to assign each one’s rights and responsibilities.
The idea for this type of a contract was first launched in 2013 in six private schools and reportedly resulted in reducing the number of complaints by 20 percent.
What does it include?
- Admission which includes the parents’ and the schools’ responsibilities
The schools’ responsibilities include informing parents about their child’s progress through meetings and reports, updating parents about any changes throughout the academic year, and providing parents the opportunity to review their child’s work. On the other hand, parents’ responsibilities are providing all valid contact details, attending all meetings and conferences and keeping up with their child’s performance and behavior in school.
- Curriculum and educational programmes which covers the mandatory subjects, assessment policy, and graduation requirements
- Fees, additional mandatory and optional fees, refunds, new students, and discounts.
- Communication for effective partnership
- Attendance and punctuality
- Attitudes and behavior
- Health and safety
- Transportation
- Appeal process which parents refer to when there is a conflict in the school
- Declaration of the contract signed by parents and school
[Related articles: Dubai schools launch parent-school contracts | Parents complain to KHDA about school fees]
The contract also gives details about the teaching days and the holidays throughout the academic year and an anti-bullying policy.
According to KHDA, tuition fee will increase in the region between 2.92 and 5.84 per cent for more than one hundred private schools in the next academic year. The contract states that schools cannot require extra fees from parents during the current academic year. However, if parents did not pay the fees on time, school can withhold their progress report and may not accept their child for the next academic year.
From the beginning of the new academic year, the contracts should be signed by parents to successfully enroll the student in the school and it should also be signed by students who are 15 years old and above.
The process:
- The school uploads the students’ information into the KHDA system.
- The schools sends the contract to parents to read.
- Parents go to the school to sign the contract electronically.
- After the school generates the contract, parents have the choice to get a hard copy or an electronic copy for their records.
- The student’s registration will only be completed in the KHDA system if both parties signed the contract.
- Both the school and the KHDA will have a copy of the contract for future reference.
List of the schools that are using the contract:
1- Al Arqm Private School
2- Al Ittihad Private School – Al Mamzer
3- Al Ittihad Private School – Jumeriah
4- Al Khaleej National School
5- Al Maaref Private School
6- Al Mawakeb School – Al Barsha
7- Al Mizhar American Academy School
8- Al Shurooq Private School
9- Dar Al Marefa Private School
10- Dubai Arabian American Private School
11- Dubai International Private School – Al Garhoud
12- Dubai International Private School – Al Qouz
13- Dubai Modern Education School
14- Dubai National School – Al Twar
15- Dubai National School – Al Barsha
16- Greenwood International School
17- International Academic School
18- Mirdif Private School
19- Modern Skills School
20- New Academic School
21- New World Private School
22- Sharjah & American International Private School
23- Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Islamic Institute
24- The School of Research Science
