Sharjah: Parents said they were surprised after the summer break to learn GEMS Our Own English High School, Sharjah has increased fees for this school year.

The new academic year had started in April for the Indian curriculum school, which then closed as routine for its annual summer break (June 26 to August 27 this year).

When classes resumed, parents were told, in a school letter dated September 5, that “we had applied for and been granted a fee increase for the academic year 2016-17 by the authorities. We communicated this increase once we had received all the appropriate approvals to implement this increase …”

They were also informed that, as the hike is “approved for academic year 2016-17 starting April ’16”, the “fee arrears of April, May, June and September 2016 … will be charged in September, 2016 separately. These fees include both tuition and medical fee costs as per MOE [Ministry of Education] guidelines.”

The average increase is about Dh94 per month, meaning that the September payment, which includes the arrears for the four months, is higher by an average of Dh376. Parents pay monthly and their monthly fee now ranges from Dh825 for grade one to Dh1,298 for grade 12.

“I wasn’t told beforehand that the school was planning to increase fees, or that it had applied for ministry approval for the same. I was surprised to learn about it this month. Parents should have been kept in the loop so we wouldn’t be taken aback after the summer break,” said an Indian parent who did not want to be named.

S.A., an Indian father of a student at the school, said: “I haven’t yet paid the September dues, which now include the ‘arrears’, because I want to dispute and negotiate this hike. The hike was introduced this month, so they should make it applicable this month onwards. But I think in the end I’ll have to pay the ‘arrears’ as well.”

He added: “I think the school could have been more transparent about the hike from the start. It’s a surprise to learn about it after the break.”

A third parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The school didn’t raise fees last year and the hike this year is not too steep for us. But it has come as an unpleasant surprise to us. It has affected our budget for this month. I don’t think my husband has paid the higher fees yet, which includes the arrears.”

A spokesperson of GEMS Education said: “At GEMS Education we remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our parents. We applied for a fee increase at the school for the 2016-2017 academic year. We communicated this increase once we had received all the appropriate approvals to implement this increase. There was no increase in fees for the 2015-2016 academic year.”

The September 5 letter said “over the past year, there has been a sustained effort to enhance learning experiences through continued investment in our school”.

Some of the investments include “salary enhancement for teachers, installation of artificial grass grounds, laying of interlock tiles in the parking area to facilitate car parking for staff and visitors, CCTV cameras to improve the safety and security inside the school premises”.