New Dubai study looks at rent versus school fees

The combined study comes just days after the Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s (KHDA) released its annual inspection results and found that expats living in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Nad Al Sheba and Arabian Ranches are paying up to AED850,000 a year on school fees, making them three of the most expensive areas for education.

Expats living in areas like Al Karama, Deira, and Al Qusais, on the other hand, have access to some of the most affordable schools in the city.

The study found that while JVC, Nad Al Sheba and Arabian Ranches boast some of the most expensive schools in the city, they are, however, home to some of the highest ranking schools in Dubai – hence the hefty price tag. And while JVC boasts some of the most expensive schools in the city, it is also home to some of the most affordable suburban style apartments and villas in the city – seems like a good balance.

If you’re new to Dubai or are looking to enroll your child in to school for the first time, here’s how the KHDA rating system works…

Schools are classified into six categories; “outstanding”, “very good”, “good”, “acceptable”, “weak” and “not acceptable”.

Some of the key factors that play a role in the rating system include; teaching style, extra-circular activities, teacher and student behavior, school room presentation, teaching style, etc.

This year, most schools offering UK based curriculum were found to have an outstanding rating, while those offering a CBSE (Indian) curriculum were found to rank lower on the spectrum.

Aside from CBSE and UK, expats can choose to send their kids to an American, IB (International Baccalaureate) or French curriculum school.

to find out the KHDA ranking for each of Dubai’s 185 private schools.