A SCHOOL in Bahrain says it is the target of unfair criticism, after a decision to increase charges sparked anger among parents.
More than 1,000 people have so far signed an online petition against a 10 per cent fee rise at the British School of Bahrain.
It follows the purchase of the school by the private education network Inspired, which was announced in January last year.
A group representing parents visited the Education Ministry last month to register an official complaint.
However, in a statement the school claimed millions of dinars had been invested in the school since it was acquired by Inspired.
“Inspired Education Group and the British School of Bahrain would like to thank the many parents and families that have come forward to show their support for the school in recent weeks,” it said.
“Reports of complaints facing the school have been extremely exaggerated and we are already taking payments for next year’s fees.
“Inspired has invested several million dinars in BSB to date and the quality of our classrooms has been verified by our global head of health and safety and the Ministry of Education.
“Inspired has also contributed significant resources in the school, with many of our top educators spending extended periods of time at the school sharing global best practices.
“We’re committed to upholding BSB as a leading school of choice in Bahrain and positioned among the best schools in the region.”
It was responding after parents complained not only about the increase in fees, but also claimed classrooms were overcrowded and made serious allegations about school standards.
A total of 1,020 parents have signed the online petition against the fee rise, with one third of payment for the next academic year due tomorrow.
The Education Ministry last month said a five per cent increase was permitted for private schools rated “excellent” or “good” by the Education and Training Quality Authority.
It added a further 5pc increase could be sanctioned by the parents committee.
“I have been with the school for many years and we expected the increments,” said a European mother-of-two, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We don’t have a problem with paying, but what we didn’t expect was the 10pc.
“The 10pc is not justified. All they have to do is rectify it and listen to the parents.”
She explained that concerns about higher fees had been compounded by news that the number of students was expected to increase for the 2019-2020 academic year.
“It’s a private school and we’re paying a lot of money for top quality education, but when a class has 26 students – of course that takes away from the time allocated to each child,” she said.
“How can you give each student the required attention?”
The school last month defended its fee rise, saying tuition costs had not increased for the past five years.
It added a previously approved 15pc fee increase for the 2017-2018 academic year had been put on hold, but said the increment was needed to support investment in staff, technology and facilities.
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