ABU DHABI // Ambitious plans for nearly 50 new schools will not solve the growing problem of a shortage of places for children of middle-income families in Abu Dhabi, worried parents said yesterday.
Most of the schools given approval to open in the next two years will offer private education models such as the British GCSE and International Baccalaureate system, which are traditionally more expensive. Only a few will use the more affordable Arabic and Indian systems.
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Prashant Padman, the father of two boys, said the new schools were not a solution for middle-class families.
"The American and British schools target the elite class, and for families like ours, we cannot pay those fees," he said.
"There are very few Indian schools as it is. Some will close and most of the ones coming up are not Indian. It seems like there cannot be an end to this shortage."
Meanwhile, new research indicates that if private schools wish to flourish they must take account of parental concerns such as curriculuum and the preservation of national cultures.
The survey by the consultants Booz and Company and YouGov indicates that many private schools are not meeting those needs.
In Abu Dhabi, 58 per cent of all K-12 students are in private schools. In Dubai, the figure is 88 per cent, including 97 per cent of expatriate students and 55 per cent of Emiratis.
"If private-school operators hope to succeed in these markets, there are a number of areas in which they will need to give more consideration to what parents want," the authors of the study say.
The schools shortage has hit the capital's Asian community the hardest, and Indian schools have long waiting lists. Many also operate out of villas deemed a health and safety risk, and will be closed by 2013.
Roy Abraham, a parent from Abu Dhabi whose son studies at an Indian school in Dubai and has to live there with his aunt, said the education authorities must look at the issue carefully.
"The existing schools are in no position to cater to the fast growing Indian population in the capital," he said.
"Only a few have a fully-fledged campus and they are full. The quality at villa schools suffers. So the only option for parents like me is to send their children to schools in another emirate."
Twelve new school opened last month, including Al Bateen School and Al Ain International School by Aldar (one of the largest development companies in the capital), Gems American Academy, Brighton College and The Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi, run by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Annual fees range from Dh19,000 for kindergarten to Dh67,000 in the higher grades.
"Adec is looking for the best operators to be a part of the private education scene," said Brian Fox, division manager for licensing and Accreditation at Abu Dhabi Education Council.
"It's not about getting more, but getting good schools."
School operators say Asian curriculum schools charge low fees, between Dh2,000 and Dh12,000 a year, which is why investors opt to open international schools.
"The investment is big to run the schools and the return is quite slow," said one villa school principal. "Why would I then want to open an Indian school when I can open a British one and charge higher fees?"
He said meeting Adec's new quality standards came at a huge cost and it was not making these schools feasible for small investors.
Several villa schools following the Filipino and Arabic curriculums have already been shut down, including Pioneers International Private School which was shut in 2010. Replacement schools opened on new premises this year, but at a higher cost to parents.
Mr Fox said they were trying to keep the tuition fees at these schools reasonable by restricting the percentage increases permitted.
Adec also says it expects 16,700 places to open at Indian schools by 2015. This includes permission for existing schools to increase capacity.
New Indian school scheduled to open will be run by Gems and Delhi Private School.
Chadi Moujaes, a partner at Booz, which will release its study on the growth potential of private school education in the GCC at the forthcoming Building Future Education Mena conference on October 25, said government policies have to foster more professional school operators.
"Just to meet the supply situation, you cannot open the door for entrants that are below standards," he said Mr Moujaes. "We are seeing a good practice with the closure of villa schools."
He said it was important to ensure there was no excessive profit to schools when deciding on fees.
Adec's criteria for approving fees include analysing the investment and the cost of education offered, the affordability and the profit margin. "On the basis of these factors, we determine the fees," said Mr Fox.
He said the authority is working on developing a master plan to assess the problem and find solutions. "We will look at the demographics of the emirate and define what curricula is most required and take decisions accordingly."
