The average private school pupil in Dubai does their homework, reads for pleasure and has breakfast most days a week before going to their UK curriculum school that costs less that Dh20,000 a year.
That is according to the 2017-2018 Dubai Private Education Landscape Report conducted by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and released on Sunday.
The study assesses the health and happiness of the pupils from more than 180 nationalities that attend the emirate’s private schools.
The results show that Dubai’s private education sector has steadily grown for another consecutive year to include 194 schools, up from 173 in 2016. The new schools cater to the increased number of pupils with enrolment up almost 10,000 from 273,599 last year.
Annual tuition fee revenue has also increased to Dh7.5 billion, from Dh6.8bn last year. The average cost of private school tuition was calculated at Dh26,865 per year though almost half (47 per cent) of pupils pay more than Dh20,000 annually in fees. Less pupils (42.5 per cent) paid more than Dh20,000 per year in fees last year, likely indicating that tuition has become more expensive.
Fiona McKenzie, director of Gabbitas Middle East, an educational consultant based in Dubai, said tuition has been a sensitive issue for the past few years as parents become increasingly conscious of the steadily increasing cost of living.
“Whereas in the past parents would have thought nothing of spending Dh90,000 on education, now they think I could go to a school that charges Dh30,000 a head and get three of my children educated,” said Ms McKenzie.
“It’s expensive to live in Dubai and school fees are expensive and lots of parents are not used to paying school fees. Many parents move here from countries where they don’t have to pay for education at all,” she said.
“We are definitely seeing more families saying we don’t want to go the premium route,” she said.
The increased number of schools opening is healthy for competition and could help reduce overall costs of tuition, Ms McKenzie said.
“Repton School, Formarke School and Horizon International School have all brought their fees down this year because they want to be more competitive. Lots of schools are now offering scholarships.”
Greater competition is also forcing schools to specialise. While some chose to focus on special needs others are looking to adopt a sustainability agenda.
The market is maturing and schools have to be clear of their identities, Ms McKenzie said.
The report also revealed that, despite higher levels of enrolment overall, schools have fallen further beneath their maximum capacity.
While schools were 88.6 per cent capacity in 2016, they have dropped to 85 per cent this year, indicating an oversupply of schools.
“They are using less of their capacity this year than they were last year. This is probably due to the fact that more schools have opened.
“On average, across the schools of Dubai, 85 per cent of the places are filled. This means 15 per cent of them are not. That reflects what we see in the market at the moment, there is a bit of an oversupply, which really changes the dynamics of the school. The schools now have to be much more competitive about recruiting pupils,” said Ms McKenzie.
It may also be an indication of the high cost in tuition. As pupils advance and the cost of tuition increases with each year, families tend to go back to their home countries to save on expenses.
David Cook, headmaster at Repton School Dubai, said the increase in the number of schools was down to “owners and developers believing there is still a demand for high-quality schools.”
Repton is not at full capacity but has experienced an increase in applicants since reducing fees.
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Read more:
More than 20 Dubai schools freeze or lower fees
Dubai parents hail school fees freeze — but expert warns quality of education could be at risk
National Editorial: An expensive education is not necessarily the best
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“Repton School reduced the fees for the senior school and froze it in the junior school. We were the first school to do that in the autumn term. We wanted to make sure that our schools are affordable. We are charging a premium fee and we do understand that in challenging economic times, we want to help parents to still send their children to outstanding schools,” he said.
Sheela Menon, principal at Ambassador School said that despite her school not working at full capacity, she saw more schools coming up.
“The education sector is one where the demand will never come down.
“Fluctuation happens but the market has not stagnated. There is a consistent demand for seats in the school. There is a shift in looking at lower fee structure of schools. There is no doubt that that is coming up,”
The school has seen parents forced to take admission in other schools because of high fees.
“Sometimes it’s painful that they have to move out as they can’t afford it,” she said.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
