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Sharjah: Schools not allowed to penalise, dismiss students for non-payment of fees amid Covid

Sharjah - Right to education upheld amid a lenient move owing to Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) authorities will not allow schools in the emirate to dismiss a pupil, prevent him/her from appearing for an examination and deny the right to education due to a delay in payment of tuition fees owing to the financial constraints because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ali Al Hosany, the Director of the SPEA, said schools need to comply with all procedures and instructions and must be flexible regarding accepting the payment of tuition fees.

He cited the SPEA's circular No. (7) for the academic year 2020-21, which has been distributed among all private schools in Sharjah. The circular stipulates the mechanisms of dealing with the late payment of tuition fees. The circular has made it abundantly clear that the school authorities must directly communicate with the parents and guardians and remind them to pay the tuition fees on time. However, pupils must not be penalised for any delay in the payment of tuition fees.

The regulatory body has suggested options such as rescheduling the payment of tuition fees that is convenient for both school authorities and parents and guardians.

The circular guaranteed the private schools the right to refrain from issuing transfer certificates or report cards and also re-registering a pupil in the next academic year till all outstanding dues are cleared.

The SPEA's circular is applicable to the third and last semester of the academic year 2020-21.

Al Hosani reminded the stakeholders about the participatory nature of their relationships and the SPEA’s bid to create a congenial atmosphere to champion the cause of education. He added that a healthy ecosystem helps the dissemination of knowledge to flourish and compliance with the SPEA's directives is the right step in that direction.