How much do Dubai parents spend on extracurricular activities?

Despite rising school fees being a constant area of concern for parents in Dubai, many are still willing to fork out additional costs for extracurricular activities (ECA) - some as much as Dh6,000 a year.
Although tuition fees are often seen as a headache for parents, it seems extracurricular activities are being put on a pedestal, and money is no object.
Amit Singh, father to Grade 7 student Bhumit Singh, spends just over Dh5,000 each year so his son can participate in football, karate and swimming, outside of school hours.
This is on top of Bhumit's school fees, which range between Dh33,056 and Dh49,011 (according to his school's fees framework).
Dedicating at least 10 hours each week to these activities, why is it that Singh is willing to dig so deep - financially speaking?
"Physical exercise, like sports or any extracurricular activities, are good for the mind, body and spirit. Furthermore, team sports are good for learning accountability, dedication, and leadership," he told Khaleej Times.
Add that all together and it's a winning combination for any kid, he said.
Like Singh, Dipak Bhadra pays about Dh5,000 annually so his four-year-old daughter can attend ECA classes.
She does soccer and ballet and it's mainly to aid her development of varied skills, but she's limited "to just two to three hours per week", he said.
Bandana Jain, whose daughter attends Delhi Private School, Dubai, spends roughly Dh6,000 yearly on her child's love for all things sport. And each week she dedicates about five hours to the activities.
With her school's annual fees sitting at around Dh12,000 per year, Jain is paying equal to 50 per cent of her daughter's yearly tuition fees for the privilege.
But where does the inclination to do so come from?
"Today is the age of nurturing well-rounded individuals. Kids are not only good at academics but also have an inclination in other spheres like art, public speaking, sports, and hence it is important for them to enroll in extra-activities," she said.
From soccer to dance, and badminton to ballet, the vast array of extracurricular activities offered to children can be a headache for kids and parents alike.
It eats into time and can create a rather large dent in a family's financial budget.
To entertain the idea of giving them up all together sounds alluring, especially if cuts have to be made when it comes to luxury spending.
But of the parents we spoke to, this is an area that is 100 per cent non-negotiable.
"I think these activities are as important as academics for holistic development. Not only do they supplement, academics but they also make the kid a better human being," Singh said.
And although a child's workload increases as he/she moves up a grade, it is beneficial to practise at least one such activity as it helps release stress, he said.
3 tips to avoid overburden of extracurricular activities
1. Commit to a schedule: Extracurricular activities are important, but they should never be used as pathways to procrastination. Set aside 30-60 minutes each day to work on your extracurricular activities.
2. Mark important due dates on calendar: If you can, buy or print the largest calendar you can find and hang it on a wall in your room. This will give you a birds-eye view of everything you need to do, and it will help you keep track of deadlines for extracurricular work.
3. Are your extracurricular commitments helping you reach your goals? Ask yourself if you really need to commit to all of chosen extracurriculars. Don't join a club just because you think it will look good on applications, and don't join too many clubs. It will show in your work if you stop taking a club seriously
- kelly@khaleejtimes.com 

• UAE