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EWmums

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ewmoda

Would you pay the extortionate fees charged by the schools here if ...

287

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 18:36

your or your DH's company did not sponsor your child's education?

I am wondering if its really worth the money I would invest to secure my child's future.

Log in to post new content in the forum.

287

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 12:14

Thanks everyone for all your replies. I understand its more about spaces now! Fees are almost the same in most of the premier schools and nurseries. And the reasonable yet good ones are already full for next 2-3 years :/: Now my only criteria seems to be closer to home! Homeschooling requires loads of patience and I dont think I have that right now!

70

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 April 2011 - 10:06

I would home school and save your money Out of interest, how much would that cost? It depends on how you homeschool. Some people use virtual or umbrella schools to assist with homeschooling, or as a method of homeschooling. I believe that the Dubai campus of K12 charges about 18,00 dhs a year. Some families opt to use umbrella or distance ed schools. We used a distance ed school for our first year of homeschooling, and the cost ( in total for 2 children) was about 2,500dhs. The following years we purchased our own curricula pieces from various suppliers and the cost averaged out at about 3,000dhs per year ( for the 2 older kids- the younger wasnt using any formal curricula) We had a place at Brighton College and declined. The wanted us to commit to paying first term fees in case we withdrew out application. The cost for Year 1 (5 yo kindergarten in the US) is 57,750 dhs (plus uniforms and lunch so make it 60k dhs). That is £10k!!! With no help from the company we sat down, calculator in hand and realised that paying that much would cripple us and we might as well go back to the UK. We will be homeschooling (home education as it is known in the UK). Buying a curriculum plus supplementary materials and books would come up to abut £600.

198

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 April 2011 - 07:14

I would home school and save your money Out of interest, how much would that cost? It depends on how you homeschool. Some people use virtual or umbrella schools to assist with homeschooling, or as a method of homeschooling. I believe that the Dubai campus of K12 charges about 18,00 dhs a year. Some families opt to use umbrella or distance ed schools. We used a distance ed school for our first year of homeschooling, and the cost ( in total for 2 children) was about 2,500dhs. The following years we purchased our own curricula pieces from various suppliers and the cost averaged out at about 3,000dhs per year ( for the 2 older kids- the younger wasnt using any formal curricula)

KarenBlixen1369

143

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 14 April 2011 - 20:31

I would home school and save your money Out of interest, how much would that cost?

KarenBlixen1369

143

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 14 April 2011 - 20:30

Hi if you are interested in a reasonably priced british curriculum school, I would recommend Safa. They charge 20k for FS1, then 30k for FS2 (big hike!) but then I think it stays at level till the end of primary. The facilities aren't flashy but perfectly adequate, and in a lovely location (Jumeirah, next to Safa Pk). And based on what I have heard, the standard of teaching is high.

AzaniaKhayaLam10671

329

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 08:08

When I first put DD in school here, I had no idea how to go about it hence I ended up with one of the 10-15k p/a but I soon realised cheaper is not always bad as per the standards in MY home country but as per Dubai/International standards....cheaper CAN be bad. The school is overcrowded, facilities are almost non existent . My DH's company requires us to pay then claim from them-it's not always easy but it's better knowing we'll get the money back hence I've made the decision to get her into a better equipped school that will cost us 3x more than the previous but classes are smaller and all the teachers are trained in the UK and native English speakers!

4062

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 09 April 2011 - 18:42

your or your DH's company did not sponsor your child's education? I am wondering if its really worth the money I would invest to secure my child's future. Hiccup, I also think it's worth remembering that paying a fortune for a private education doesn't always mean you secure their future. At the end of the day, what they decide to do with that expensive education is up to them. Also, not opting for an expensive school doesn't mean you are automatically consigning your child to a life of drudgery. There are plenty of private school drop outs and state school phds around.

4062

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 09 April 2011 - 18:13

Our only parameters when searching for a school were: 1) British Curriculum 2) Easy commute 3) Actually had places available Which, at the time, left us with a choice of one school. And yes, it's worth the 42 500 we pay from our own pockets for reception (KS2). I would have killed for a place at our local school (walking distance and much cheaper) but there weren't, and still aren't, any places available. Mind you, the fees are managable for one child but once our other two children start it's going to be a bit more of a stretch!

95

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 08 April 2011 - 14:52

I can only think of a handful of friends that have their school fees paid by the company. Honestly most people I know pay the fees out of their own pockets. I don't think the school fees are that insane here TBH. In Australia, whilst there are 'free' or government schools, the tax rates for higher income earners are astronimical (up to 47% on a sliding scale) so are not technically free at all but rather tax payer funded. That said, we pay in the 35-38K region for our school here in DXB- reasonable considering the teacher-child ratio, resources (although I do feel we should have better resources but that's a whole new thread!) and overall outcomes. I would love to send our kids to some of the well resourced American schools but at double the tuition fees it wouldn't be feasible nor necessary for us to do so. For the record, the kids school in Australia where they are enrolled for the future is approx 65K per year (think I converted that right!) so paying 35-38K here isn't to much of a stretch at this stage. But really the "private" schooling you're paying for in Dubai is equivalent to a good public school in Australia so you can't compare them to private schools in Australia.

287

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 08 April 2011 - 12:55

Hiccup what kind of schools/curriculum are you looking for? Also some idea of budget. I am sure there are good schools that can fit into your requirements for the LO. I prefer the IB over the A level. But I am very late in applying for schools :( ... DS would be 3 this july. So looking for FS1 space. And the search is frustrating!!

648

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 19:13

I would home school and save your money

298

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 16:36

I can only think of a handful of friends that have their school fees paid by the company. Honestly most people I know pay the fees out of their own pockets. I don't think the school fees are that insane here TBH. In Australia, whilst there are 'free' or government schools, the tax rates for higher income earners are astronimical (up to 47% on a sliding scale) so are not technically free at all but rather tax payer funded. That said, we pay in the 35-38K region for our school here in DXB- reasonable considering the teacher-child ratio, resources (although I do feel we should have better resources but that's a whole new thread!) and overall outcomes. I would love to send our kids to some of the well resourced American schools but at double the tuition fees it wouldn't be feasible nor necessary for us to do so. For the record, the kids school in Australia where they are enrolled for the future is approx 65K per year (think I converted that right!) so paying 35-38K here isn't to much of a stretch at this stage.

5452

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 07:01

I tend to agree with Mrs. Laughan. A school in the 30,000+ range should have smaller classer sizes, lower adult/child ratio, better resources, more care to the individual child, better and cleaner facilities, more qualified higher-paid native English-speaking teachers, a safer environment, etc. than a school that charges 15,000. But with each school, no matter how much they charge, you need to go inside, take a look, talk to the teachers, and decide what you want. Some parents are happy with no resources and unqualified teachers so it really depends what you are looking for.

436

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 06:45

Ok ...well, that is a hard one, because the straight answer is class sizes and resources... I never looked at schools that charged $15 k, but I am guessing ones like (is it) Winchester? There class sizes are very large, so if you compared that with say one that has around 24 ( or gems Wellington primary, where class sizes are 16,but fees are are around $40k) then yes it does make a difference. Where I am not so sure about the fee diff, is the schools charging up to $50 or 60k ...ESP with schools like rep ton, where people complain about not enough resources (but that is more later years) and growing class sizes... So to answer your question, I actually think 30k is reasonable for foundation, and would (and do)pay it. Think the education is going to be better than a school charging $14k, but don't think $50-60k is going to make a difference over $30k school <em>edited by Mrs Laughan on 07/04/2011</em>

287

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 04:10

Mrs L I am comparing schools here and not here and another country. Wondering if DS would not be intelligent / smart if I put him in a school that charges me 14K per year? What exactly is the reason why people choose 30K over 15K? Is it bcos they can afford it or is it because the end results are smarter, wiser children?

436

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 22:03

Hiccup, that's a bit of a silly question isn't it? Yes some people do get school fees paid as part of package... But many don't. If you have school age children, they have to be educated, so you have to pay... And the prices at a great many schools here are not extortionate.... Yes they seem expensive if you are from a country that provides free education, but it's not free is it really? Not when your paying 40-50% tax Look at NYC school fees and then tell me that the fees here are extortionate...... Err ... I meant the schools that charge 30000 and up for foundation / kg. Obviously there are many schools that are cheaper. But I keep hearing this statement "you get what you pay for"?[/quote The school we were planning on sending our son to in NYC started at $36000usd for foundation, it was not the cheapest ( that would have been around $30,000usd) , but by far not the most expensve..... The private school we would send our son to in NZ starts at $17,000NZD plus, pus, plus......so 30,0000aed is not extortionate

3220

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 21:37

We pay outof our own pocket. Fortunately we have investments that give good returns and helps pay for the schooling,so its not coming from DH's salary currently. Kids need education. Dont really have a choice....but it hurts everytime we write out a cheque! Lol! ;)

1247

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 20:23

we pay, many of our friends pay. Is it expensive at over 30k a year for FS1, yes offcourse, but its within our budget. MUCH worse then when they get older and go to high school. I actually dont know that many people who get schooling paid for anymore.... most of the people that I knew on those kind of contracts were laid off when the crisis hit.

455

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:45

Well it depends what you want for your child I paid for my DD to go to private school in the UK and it was much more than 30,000 aed per annum but it was what I wanted for her

704

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:42

I pay for my childs education myself..not sponsored here.

436

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:17

I know heaps that it is not paid for......ours included, but when we looked at living costs, rent, etc against package, it was still very worthwhile.

287

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:16

Hiccup, that's a bit of a silly question isn't it? Yes some people do get school fees paid as part of package... But many don't. If you have school age children, they have to be educated, so you have to pay... And the prices at a great many schools here are not extortionate.... Yes they seem expensive if you are from a country that provides free education, but it's not free is it really? Not when your paying 40-50% tax Look at NYC school fees and then tell me that the fees here are extortionate...... Err ... I meant the schools that charge 30000 and up for foundation / kg. Obviously there are many schools that are cheaper. But I keep hearing this statement "you get what you pay for"?

Anonymous (not verified)

0

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:13

Would most people be able to afford their childrens education if the company didn't pay it? Surely it wouldn't be worth staying for a lot of people as that is one of the major perks if the company does pay it. It would depend on the package/salary and if it was still financially viable to stay. The prices of schools here are cheaper than private schools in the UK, you have to work out tax wise if it is worth it. I don't think all schools are extortionate here, at the end of the day they are just businesses, some better than others.

436

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 19:11

Hiccup, that's a bit of a silly question isn't it? Yes some people do get school fees paid as part of package... But many don't. If you have school age children, they have to be educated, so you have to pay... And the prices at a great many schools here are not extortionate.... Yes they seem expensive if you are from a country that provides free education, but it's not free is it really? Not when your paying 40-50% tax Look at NYC school fees and then tell me that the fees here are extortionate......

LovinDubai36431

90

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 18:50

People consider it free as someone else pays. As soon as they want money up front all **** breaks lose cos they have to put there hands in there pockets

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