Indian School Wadi Kabir approves fee hike

Muscat: Parents whose students attend Indian School Wadi Kabir will now need to pay an additional OMR 2 per month, after the school decided to increase its monthly school fees.

The news comes just days after parents gathered at the school to demand a rollback to the new fee structure, which will mean they’ll need to pay an additional OMR24 for every one of their children who attends the school. The school maintained that the fee increase was intended to provide better benefits to teaching staff.

In addition, a single annual payment of OMR10 will be levied towards co-curricular and cultural activities the school will be organising in future.

A statement issued by the ISWK school management committee (SMC) said, “With robust forward planning and further enhancements in mind, the School Management Committee has approved the increase of the tuition fees for the Academic Year 2019-2020 by OMR2 per month, which amounts to RO 24 per annum, per child.

“There are several planned academic and co-scholastic activities which the school initiates, pro-actively to provide an all-round development of all students at ISWK,” added the SMC. “In order to avoid the inconvenience and difficulties faced by the parents on procuring costumes, other related materials, transportation for excursions/picnics and for the teachers who collect the same during class hours, the school management has decided that a lump-sum amount of OMR10 per annum, is to be collected along with Term fees, for convenience purposes only.”

The SMC clarified that the increase in term fees for the upcoming academic term would be OMR34, and asked parents and guardians to not follow misleading statements which said otherwise on social media. The school reiterated that children who came from families who could not afford their children’s education under the updated fee structures would receive a fee concession.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to inform, that we do not collect any deposits for new admissions or charge any contribution towards infrastructure purely with an intention to avoid any financial burden on the parents,” said the SMC. “Additionally, the school has been offering a fee concession to the needy parents based on submission of proof of income and bank statements.

“Parents who have fulfilled the eligibility criteria have been availing this fee discount, till date, and it is extended for the new academic year as well,” added the school. “The school will accept applications for the same, with a last date being 10th May. A list of eligible candidates will be displayed by 30th May, 2019. As in the past, we look forward to the continued support and timely cooperation of our parents, which will ensure the maintenance of education standards and assist in the smooth functioning of Indian School Wadi Kabir.”

Earlier, parents whose students were enrolled at ISWK had gathered en masse outside the school, having drafted a memorandum requesting the reversal of this decision, having submitted the same to the school authorities, as had been confirmed by a senior member of the Board of Directors for Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman.

“A large number of parents gathered at the Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) on Tuesday, demanding a rollback of the recent fee hikes,” said this member. “Some parents even drafted a memorandum and submitted to the school authorities complaining about the fee hike. According to the school, the tuition fees were raised by OMR 2 from this year. This was done in order to support teachers.”