Share the cost of education

Businesses and communities could pitch in to help underperforming private schools

Staff and students at Gems Modern Academy, one of Dubai's better performing schools. (Sarah Dea / The National)

The quality of education is an essential issue for all families. Everybody wants the best for their children, but not all schools are of an equal standard and not everybody can afford to pay the fees charged by the top-performing institutions. Schools that do not perform well in official inspections are prohibited from raising their fees beyond sanctioned limits until their standards improve. But what of those schools whose standards are low because they simply cannot afford to improve them?

Yesterday, The National reported that the owner of the Gulf Model School, one of Dubai's lowest-ranked Indian-curriculum schools, said he would not raise fees until the school earns a higher rating from inspectors. But Najeeth Ali Huq made the point that schools such as his charge as little as Dh3,000 a year while others charge up to Dh90,000. The schools with the most income tend to rank high on the "league table" – because they are better resourced and can afford better teachers – and are therefore allowed to increase their fees by a greater percentage than the schools that rate poorly.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which oversees school standards in Dubai, rightly points out that the fee framework acts as an incentive for schools to improve. But it also tends to disadvantage schools that cater for low-to-middle income families. While the government could offer advice and assistance, as Mr Ali Huq has requested, it cannot realistically be expected to fund private schools, especially when many of the students will be leaving the UAE upon graduation. So, there needs to be an alternative funding model.

The solution could be in fund-raising drives involving parents and the broader community, and in reaching out to private enterprises that run corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes. Given that companies in the UAE do not pay tax, CSR is a perfect way for them to give something back. In the case of Gulf Model School, with its overwhelmingly Indian student body, ­Indian-owned businesses would seem the perfect fit for an ongoing philanthropic gesture.