E-Paper
Sign In
Non-payment of fee no reason to punish students
ABU DHABI - The Ministry of Education has warned foreign private schools against punishing students for non-payment of fees.
- PUBLISHED: Thu 6 Oct 2005, 10:19 AM UPDATED: Thu 1 Aug 2024, 9:54 AM
The schools should instead withhold the students' final exam result until the outstanding amount is paid by their parents.
A ministerial source told Khaleej Times that a number of incidents had been reported to the ministry where schools take out their wrath on children to put pressure on parents.
Recommended For You
Refusing to reveal further details on the complaints, the source, however, warned schools that the ministry will take strict action against schools which violate educational bylaws.
"We have noted that in most cases, non-payment of fees is mostly due to financial problems faced by the student's family like the father losing his job or similar situation. So, it is inhumane to embarass the child in front of his friends for no fault of his," the official said.
According to private education bylaws, schools cannot prevent children from attending classes or appearing for exams for non-payment or delay in paying school fees. They can send oral and written reminders to parents and if they fail to remit the required amount, the schools can withhold the annual result," pointed out the official.
"Any other form of punishment meted out to the students is unlawful and parents can lodge a complaint with the ministry," added the official.
The case of Malak, a seventh grade student who was made to stand under the sun for non-payment of fees by her school management, had attracted much public attention when Khaleej Times exposed the story a few months back. According to the parent's complaint, the girl developed symptoms of dehydration and had to be admitted in hospital.
Following an enquiry conducted by the ministry official, Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education, ordered closure of the school.