Education

Old Apr 23rd 2014, 7:23 am
  #76  
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Default Re: Education

Just an idea on the subject of registration fees and assessments.

Why not ask for a slightly higher fee which is paid by a post-dated cheque. If a place is offered, the school has the right to cash the cheque. Surely this would stop people registering for every school out there and only put the kids name down for schools where they really would accept if offered.

A simple registration contract could be drawn stating that if no place for that semester was offered, the contract is null and void and the cheque must be returned.

Maybe I'm being too simplistic, but if parents knew that on being offered a place, they would pay for the offer, they would get more focussed on which school(s) to apply for and the queues might reduce.

My wife is head teacher and in charge of admissions at a chain of nurseries and she often meets parents who register at 5-10 institutions!! My wife feels that this is what is causing the false view of an over subscribed market.

In relation to the question of assessments, my wife's school has strict policies and metrics for assessing the kids and will refund charges if the kid is not up to scratch for the particular grade of school they are applying.

Just my tuppence worth.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 9:54 am
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by TheShed

Why not ask for a slightly higher fee which is paid by a post-dated cheque. If a place is offered, the school has the right to cash the cheque. Surely this would stop people registering for every school out there and only put the kids name down for schools where they really would accept if offered.
That's roughly how some (most?) schools in Abu Dhabi operate, certainly Brighton, and most of the others we spoke to also. Parents pay a fee to register; if the school does not subsequently offer the child a place then the fee is refunded. If an offer is made and not accepted by the parents then the fee is forfeited. If an offer is made and accepted, then the fee is offset against the first term's fees.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 11:52 am
  #78  
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by archie159
That's roughly how some (most?) schools in Abu Dhabi operate, certainly Brighton, and most of the others we spoke to also. Parents pay a fee to register; if the school does not subsequently offer the child a place then the fee is refunded. If an offer is made and not accepted by the parents then the fee is forfeited. If an offer is made and accepted, then the fee is offset against the first term's fees.
Then it begs the question, "what is that fee needed for, if it will be eventually refunded to all the unsuccessful applicants"? Nice little escrow account with a good % who will forget or be unable to claim a refund.

Originally Posted by archie159
My wife is head teacher and in charge of admissions at a chain of nurseries and she often meets parents who register at 5-10 institutions!! My wife feels that this is what is causing the false view of an over subscribed market.
Does she advise the parents that they needn't bother to register at so many places? Does she advise the parents where they are on the waiting list?
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 11:58 am
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Default Re: Education

From the original article it would seem that the schools main argument is that their rental increases are causing undue strain on their bottom line which they are passing onto parents.

Maybe a simple government restriction would be to limit the rental increases to properties with a school attached?
I'm sure the schools would invent a new 'funding pressure' but this would at least offer some respite in the short term
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 12:18 pm
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by Bongoman2
From the original article it would seem that the schools main argument is that their rental increases are causing undue strain on their bottom line which they are passing onto parents.

Maybe a simple government restriction would be to limit the rental increases to properties with a school attached?
I'm sure the schools would invent a new 'funding pressure' but this would at least offer some respite in the short term
I don't get where schools are 'renting' from though? GEMs for example build their own, do they rent the land?

If they don't buy the land and pay to build on it but have to rent instead then surely there is some protection from a Corporate type RERA?

Interesting the shitter schools get the lower increases though, it's almost counter-productive but also rewards the best...chicken/egg a bit though?

Fee increases for 2014-15 have been fixed at 3.48 per cent for “outstanding” schools, 2.61 per cent for “good” schools and 1.74 per cent for the rest based on the 1.74 per cent ECI increase in 2013.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 2:37 pm
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by Bongoman2
Then it begs the question, "what is that fee needed for, if it will be eventually refunded to all the unsuccessful applicants"? Nice little escrow account with a good % who will forget or be unable to claim a refund.



Does she advise the parents that they needn't bother to register at so many places? Does she advise the parents where they are on the waiting list?
Yes, she certainly advises parents on first meeting that they probably won't get a place due to waiting list too long or first impression of the child is that he/she is not up to the correct development stage.

N.b. my wife is in nurseries rather than big kids schools.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 2:39 pm
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by Scamp
I don't get where schools are 'renting' from though? GEMs for example build their own, do they rent the land?

If they don't buy the land and pay to build on it but have to rent instead then surely there is some protection from a Corporate type RERA?

Interesting the shitter schools get the lower increases though, it's almost counter-productive but also rewards the best...chicken/egg a bit though?
I think you're right scamp, but as I mentioned in the previous post, my view may be skewed as Mrs Shed is dealing with nurseries (albeit with feeds to the top schools) rather than big kids stuff.

Interesting point is that most people coming to Mrs Shed are doing it for the chance at a good school as much as for her facilities and great teachers.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 2:53 pm
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Default Re: Education

Ok, just to add credence to my replies. Mrs Shed was looking over my shoulder and decided to read all of the posts.

Quote Mrs Shed "we take a deposit as there are just so many parents coming through the door trying to register everywhere" which confirms my false overbought market analysis.

Quote again " if we did not have so many visitors, many of whom books an appointment and turn up and hour late, we would not need so many staff"

Quote 3 - the rental question is actually indirect. Most nurseries have the property owner as a shareholder so rents don't increase much however like man other businesses in Dubai, the cost of living is rising so fast we have to constantly up salaries to keep the great teachers. Fixed assets (toys and regulatory items due to Gov regulations) constantly increase in price.

Quote from Shed. I actually look at the books and the profit %is actually decreasing for these guys as they fight the cost vs revenue equation. 82% of seats must be filled three months before term to guarantee profit for that school year.

YMMV
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Old Apr 24th 2014, 8:09 pm
  #84  
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by Bahtatboy
If, as you assert, supply outstrips demand, why aren't prices driven down?
Supply clearly *does* outstrip demand, because as has been said, kids always get into a school eventually, and nobody seems to end up forced to leave the UAE because they can't find school places. It's all the over-registration that helps create the illusion of supply lagging demand.

As to the reason why prices aren't driven down, you could say the same about rents. There is clearly plenty of supply, there are umpteen empty properties in every development you care to look at... but the cosy little cartel nature of the housing market here means that normal rules of supply and demand don't apply.

And of course, the housing and schooling (schooling, that's such an old-fashioned word, I hate it) markets here are further affected by the inherent distortions in the system caused by the fact that some people get their rent and school fees paid by their employers, and others - probably the majority - don't... but the systems here seem to assume that everybody falls in the former camp, with little to no consideration given to those who don't have a magical money orifice out of which to pluck large lump sums on demand.
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Old Apr 24th 2014, 8:22 pm
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Default Re: Education

Originally Posted by Scamp
I personally think the schools out here are pretty impressive. Swimming classes every week in Primary? I had once a week trip to the local baths in two of the 6 years at primary
Then you're very out of touch with what happens in many primary schools in the UK these days. Hell, my state primary school had its own (outdoor) swimming pool built in the late 60s. We had regular swimming lessons in the spring and summer.

Arabic? Why not eh?
The standard of second-language Arabic teaching in the UAE is notoriously poor. It's quite possible (and indeed not unusual) to go through your entire compulsory education career here, learning Arabic from age 4 to age 16, and come out the other end not being able to speak conversational Arabic.

generally parents' salaries aren't shit across the board if their paying
One of the new realities of Dubai is that its tax-free status means increasingly little, with many people with families unable to save they way they thought they would before they arrived here. If they're paying for rent and school fees out of their own pockets - as is increasingly the norm - then they're often just muddling through month-to-month the same way they did in their home countries, with very little left over at the end of the month.
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Old Apr 28th 2014, 10:02 am
  #86  
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Default Re: Education

If anyone has children in year 12, or around that age, and is thinking about university, then you may be interested in this free presentation which is taking place this Wednesday evening in Dubai.

http://financialuae.me/2014/04/27/un...or-your-child/


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