Sending your children to private schools is going to cost you more from next year. Ten private schools in the country have revised fees for the 2015 academic year. The increase ranges from over Nu. 5,000 to more than Nu. 25,000.
Druk School has increased its fee by close to Nu. 26,000 for pre primary to class six and by Nu. 17,000 for class seven to 10. Dr. Tobgyel School has also increased its fees by Nu.12,000.
And another eight private schools have increased their fees by more than Nu. 5,000.
The increase has left most parents surprised.
A parent of a Druk School student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she is shocked by the huge raise. She said the parents have not been informed and added she is even more surprised that the Education Ministry has approved it. She describes the raise as unreasonable.
A parent of a Thimphu Primary School student shared similar concerns.
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry says private schools are allowed to raise fees every two years. The Ministry’s Private School Division approves the increase based on the justifications provided by the school.
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The Chief Programme Officer of the Private School Division under the Ministry of Education, Karma Choden says, “there is no hard or fast rule when it comes to private schools in respect of fee application. However, if they feel the need to increase their fees based on inflation, then, they can always apply to us and justify on what ground they need to increase their fees.”
She added better furniture, new infrastructure and hiring of expatriate teachers are some of the justifications provided by the private schools.
She also said private schools are also business entities and that parents always have a choice to send their children to a private or a government school.
Meanwhile, the parents say some form of monitoring in the fee increment has to be there, to ensure good education doesn’t become beyond the means of average Bhutanese families.
