{"id":35784,"date":"2025-11-06T07:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T07:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/?p=35784"},"modified":"2025-11-06T08:11:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T08:11:08","slug":"dubai-to-launch-60-budget-friendly-schools-revolutionary-initiative-aims-to-ensure-education-for-every-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/06\/dubai-to-launch-60-budget-friendly-schools-revolutionary-initiative-aims-to-ensure-education-for-every-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai to Launch 60 Budget-Friendly Schools: Revolutionary Initiative Aims to Ensure Education for Every Child"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Educators in Dubai have expressed support for the initiative to open 60 new affordable schools over the next eight years, noting that it will not only increase options for parents but also enhance the overall quality of education in the city.<\/p>

The initiative, endorsed by the Dubai Executive Council under the \u201cPolicy to Expand and Promote Affordable High-Quality Schools,\u201d is expected to accommodate approximately 120,000 students within the next ten years. It represents a central component of the Dubai Education Strategy 2033, which aims to establish the emirate among the top ten global cities in terms of educational standards.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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To attract investment in the sector, the government plans to provide reduced fees and land lease concessions, giving operators incentives to set up more affordable schools while maintaining high educational standards.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Dino Varkey, Group CEO of GEMS Education, stated that the initiative strongly reflects the organization\u2019s long-term mission.
\u201cSince 1968, when our founder launched Our Own English High School in Dubai, GEMS Education has been at the forefront of delivering accessible, high-quality schooling,\u201d he explained.<\/p>

\u201cCurrently, we provide affordable, quality education to over 80,000 students across Dubai and the UAE. For more than sixty years, we have remained dedicated to supporting Dubai\u2019s vision of creating outstanding schools that are both accessible and affordable for all families,\u201d he added.<\/p>

Varkey emphasized that wider access to quality education benefits society as a whole. \u201cWhen more families can access excellent schools, it strengthens communities, fosters stability, and ensures every child has the chance to reach their full potential,\u201d he noted.<\/p>

However, he also stressed that affordability should never compromise quality. \u201cThe key challenge lies in delivering top-notch education while keeping it affordable \u2014 making sure schools can continue to invest in exceptional teachers, digital resources, and comprehensive programs,\u201d he said. \u201cThanks to our experience and scale, we can achieve this by focusing on maximizing value in the classroom rather than cutting costs.\u201d<\/p>

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Other education experts emphasized that the initiative\u2019s success will hinge on achieving a balance between affordability and quality.<\/p>

Punit MK Vasu, CEO of The Indian High Group of Schools, noted that their institution \u2014 one of Dubai\u2019s longest-established affordable Indian curriculum schools \u2014 has earned its reputation through sustainable pricing.<\/p>

The school currently charges around Dh550 per month and has kept fees unchanged for the past seven years.<\/p>

\u201cMaintaining this balance has been possible due to our not-for-profit operating structure,\u201d Vasu explained. \u201cWe have developed a model focused on maximizing operational efficiency, securing long-term vendor agreements, creating additional revenue streams, and engaging in strategic planning with city authorities and regulators.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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He emphasized that affordability encompasses much more than just tuition. \u201cExpenses like transportation, textbooks, uniforms, extracurricular activities, and sports programs all need to be considered collectively when assessing the full financial burden of educating a student,\u201d he noted.<\/p>

Vasu also highlighted the potential for better utilization of existing resources. \u201cSchool facilities remain largely underused,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is significant scope to make the most of school buildings and infrastructure before, during, and after regular school hours.\u201d<\/p>

While commending Dubai\u2019s recent policy initiatives, Vasu suggested that affordable schools might benefit from a more tailored regulatory approach. \u201cOne of the biggest hurdles for affordable schools will likely be attracting and retaining high-quality staff,\u201d he explained.<\/p>

He added, \u201cIt would also be worth exploring a differentiated system of quality assurance designed specifically for affordable schools, rather than applying the same evaluation standards across all institutions.\u201d<\/p>

Supporting these views, a representative from Apple International Community School (AICS), a British curriculum institution managed by LEAMS Education, highlighted that the school continues to offer competitive fee structures \u2014 with annual tuition ranging from Dh15,000 in the early years to Dh20,000 up to Year 10.<\/p>

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Pretty Khosla, Executive Principal of AICS, stated, \u201cAn increase in the number of schools will foster innovation, encourage healthy competition, and provide parents with more options. Affordable schools, however, will face the challenge of maintaining quality while keeping costs manageable, recruiting committed teachers, and consistently evolving to address students\u2019 needs. Working together and sharing best practices will be essential for upholding high standards.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Noufal Ahmed, Founder and Managing Director of Woodlem Education, sees the government\u2019s initiative as marking a new chapter for inclusive private education.<\/p>

\u201cAt Hampton Heights International School in Al Twar, which offers an affordable British curriculum, monthly fees start at Dh800 for early years and go up to Dh1,200 for the senior grades,\u201d he explained.<\/p>

He added, \u201cThis reflects our dedication to providing high-quality education that is accessible to more families. Dubai\u2019s new policy to expand affordable schooling is transformative, enabling more children to benefit from private education and fostering a more inclusive and competitive educational environment.\u201d<\/p>

Ahmed also noted that affordable schools will still need to navigate challenges, including maintaining teaching standards and managing budgets, but remained optimistic about the future. \u201cIn the long run, this initiative is likely to bring greater diversity, innovation, and wider access within Dubai\u2019s education sector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dubai is set to open 60 affordable schools, a groundbreaking move designed to provide every child with access to quality education, making learning opportunities more inclusive across the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_template":[],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-35784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35784"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35790,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35784\/revisions\/35790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35784"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=35784"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=35784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}