In the 2016-17 academic year private schools in Dubai collected Dhs 6.8 billion in tuition fee revenue. Which is Dhs 700 million more than the Dhs 6.1 billion collected last academic year.
The Dubai Private Education Landscape report, released on Tuesday, also said 57.5% of students pay less than Dhs 20,000 in annual tuition. Last school year, 60.7% of them paid less than Dhs 20,000.
Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) revealed the report in London, at an event hosted for investors, educators and consultants by the UAE Embassy in UK.
Dubai currently has 185 private schools teaching 273,599 students. Meaning that, on average, each school generated a revenue of around Dhs 36.7 million, with each student paying around Dhs 24,800 in annual fees.
More than 88% of seats in the schools are occupied, and the report added that 120 new schools are expected to open in the next 10 years.
As reported this week, 10 more schools are set to open in the new academic year, providing additional seats to keep up with the growing demand. Private schools in Dubai reported an average annual enrolment growth of 6.6% over the last decade.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director-general of KHDA, said “Dubai is a community which thrives on collaboration and it represents an opportunity for everyone. We have seen consistent and strong growth in private education over the years and this has contributed to an improvement in the overall standard of living and long-term economic growth for Dubai”.
Student enrolments have grown by 89% in the last 10 years. By the end of the next decade, a total of 470,000 students are expected be studying in private schools.
“By improving access to private education and enabling a wider choice for families, we are opening more avenues for high-quality education with a focus on happiness, well-being and positive education” Dr Al Karam added.
The full report is available on www.khda.gov.ae.