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School detains 15 students for not paying fees on time

A private school in Sharjah, which reportedly detained 15 students in a class room for delaying the payment of school fees, has come under the scanner of the Sharjah Education Zone. The authority has formed a committee comprising of Hessah Al Khajah, Head of Private Schools department, and two officials from the Legal section, to investigate the case.

Al Khajah said the school’s management should not have involved students in disputes with their parents. She stressed that the law allows a school to stop a student from attending classes for nonpayment of fees only after three warnings.

Detaining students in a class room is against the law, she said. “Such schools can face tough penalties like hefty fines and even closure,” Al Khajah said.

Schools cannot dismiss a student for nonpayment of fees but can prevent him/her from attending classes temporarily.

The manager of the school said their intention was to only prevent the students from attending classes. She claimed that the students were put in another class with a teacher. “The school also has financial obligations such as paying the salaries of teachers and staff, electricity bills and many things. The school management has the right to dismiss a student temporarily until he/she pays the fees.

“We had to follow this way to force the parents to pay the school fees, because we had sent them several reminders.”

The parent of a detained female student called for strict action against the school. “The school management’s actions have left the students concerned depressed; it has affected them psychologically.”

The parent claimed that he had called the school last week and informed that he would pay the fees in full next week. “I was shocked to receive a call from the school telling me that I cannot take my daughter home unless I pay the fees immediately,” he said.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com