Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Education has refused to approve 60 percent of requests from private and foreign schools to increase their tuition fees from next year. The reason for refusal was the failure on the part of these schools to meet the standards for increasing their tuition fees, an Arabic daily quoted a source in the ministry as saying. The committees in charge of processing the applications for tuition fees' increase based its decision on the following standards: cost of education, school efficiency, educational achievements, results of students on tests conducted by the ministry, and schools' success in Saudizing educational and administrative posts. The ministry urged schools whose applications were rejected to submit a review letter within 15 days of the decision's date, the source said. On the other hand, it required schools whose applications were approved to notify parents in writing and before the end of the current school year of the new increase in tuition fees. Some private schools in Riyadh have started sending SMS text messages to parents and guardians to let them know that they will have to pay more for the tuition fees of their children in the coming academic year. The tuition fees for all grades is expected to be increased due to the fact that the schools have hired Saudi staff to meet Saudization percentage required by the Ministry of Labor. Salih Al-Turaif, director of private and foreign education at Riyadh Education Administration for Boys, noted that the tuition fees have been somewhat increased. He said the schools which did not receive approval to increase tuition fees should keep their fees unchanged for the next year. The ministry warned private schools against jacking up their tuition fees without obtaining approval from the ministry. Schools violating the ministry's conditions and requirements will face several penalties which include complete suspension from work. Earlier, the Council of Ministers asked the Ministry of Education to revise the tuition fees levied by private and foreign schools in Makkah. Several committees were formed for this purpose and a set of standards and rules were designed to be used as a basis for any ministry's decision to give approval to a school intending to increase its tuition fees.
