Tuition hike suspended for 2 years

The Education Ministry has announced it will suspend any increase of tuition fees by private and international schools for two years.

Director of Education in Riyadh Abdullah Al-Mani said the schools can continue the latest tuition fees approved for the academic years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017.

“Schools are also not allowed to instruct students to buy their uniform from one particular store. The students should have the freedom to buy their uniform from any store they wish in order to protect their consumer rights and prevent monopoly,” said Al-Mani.

He said uniforms should have general specifications and must be available at moderate prices.

“Likewise, students should not be constricted to one place where they can buy their books from. The school should use a widely available set of books so students can buy them from several publishing houses and at suitable prices,” said Al-Mani.

He said these decisions were issued by the Ministry of Education in order to ensure high retention rates in private and international schools.