The Ministry of Education has approved new rules governing tuition fees at Arabic-language private schools and Pakistani schools, allowing a one-time increase of 10 to 15 percent while introducing tighter controls on how fees are collected and stronger safeguards for students whose families have outstanding payments.

Under the decision, schools charging between 250 and 450 dinars will be permitted to raise tuition fees by 15 percent, based on the approved fee structure of each school. Schools whose fees start at 451 dinars or more may increase charges by 10 percent.

The increases are to be applied only once, with schools required to provide educational services corresponding to the level of the approved increase. The decision therefore links any higher financial burden on families to the continued provision of the services covered by the school’s approved fee structure.

Fees to be collected in three instalments

The ministry has also established a standard payment mechanism, requiring tuition fees to be collected from parents in three equal instalments. The first instalment is due during the first week of the student’s attendance at the beginning of the academic year and includes the registration fee.

The second instalment is payable during the first week of the second academic period, in line with the approved academic calendar. For Pakistani schools, the third instalment is due during the first week of the third academic period. The decision places clear limits on schools’ ability to alter this arrangement.

Fees cannot become a barrier to education

Covered schools may not increase fees beyond the percentages and amounts approved by the ministry, nor may they change the number, value or payment dates of the instalments specified in the decision. One of the most significant elements of the decision concerns student rights.

Schools are prohibited from preventing students from receiving educational services because of unpaid tuition fees. They may not bar students from sitting for mid-year or final examinations, remove them from school, or withhold their academic results because fees remain unpaid during the school year.

The provision puts the continuation of a student’s education and access to academic assessment beyond the reach of fee-collection disputes, ensuring that outstanding payments do not automatically translate into a loss of classroom access or examination rights.The ministry has laid down specific rules for students who transfer between schools during the academic year.

Rules also cover students changing schools

If the due date for the first instalment arrives and the student has already begun attending classes during that period, the school is entitled to half of the tuition fees. If the second instalment becomes due while the student is attending the school, the school is entitled to the full tuition fee.

For a student who transfers to another school or leaves education during the academic year, the fees due are determined according to the instalment schedule and the applicable circumstances. The receiving school cannot charge tuition for the period the student spent at the previous school, preventing families from being charged twice for the same period of study.

There is a specific exception for students who are academically expelled or transferred from one school to another under the school regulations. In such cases, the Examinations and Equivalencies Department, in coordination with the Administrative Affairs Department of the General Administration of Private Education, may reorganise the fees due during an instalment period according to the actual length of time the student spent at the original school.

Indian schools had already received a similar increase
The latest decision follows a similar move involving private schools operating under the Indian curriculum. In November last year, the Ministry of Education approved a 15 percent increase for Indian schools whose fees started between 300 and 500 dinars, while schools charging more than 500 dinars were permitted a 10 percent increase.

Because the decision concerning Indian schools was issued after the academic year had already begun, roughly two months after classes started, some schools opted not to implement the increase immediately and instead deferred its application until the beginning of the current academic year.

Parents to get clearer view of approved fees

The ministry has also strengthened requirements for disclosure and transparency. Schools covered by the decision must submit a list of their approved tuition fees to the Financial and Administrative Affairs Department of the General Administration of Private Education. The list will be reviewed to ensure that schools are not exceeding the fees authorised by the ministry.

Once reviewed, schools must make the approved fee schedule readily available to parents by displaying it prominently on a noticeboard at the school or publishing it on the school’s website. The aim is to give parents a clear picture of what they are expected to pay for the academic year and make it easier to identify charges that fall outside the officially approved structure.

Academic results must remain accessible

The ministry has further required private schools to allow both parents and students to view their results in mid-year and final examinations even when tuition fees have not been paid.

Schools must also notify parents of students who fail one or more subjects and are required to sit for a second examination. Notification must be made through a recognised communication channel that has been clearly communicated to the parent in advance, including text messages, electronic messages, email or postal correspondence.

Taken together, the new regulations establish a framework that not only permits private schools to adjust tuition fees, but also places greater emphasis on predictable payments, fee transparency and the protection of students’ access to education and academic results.