460 expat students out of school for non-payment of fees in UAE

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More than 460 expatriate students have failed to join classes in private schools this year as their families couldn't afford to pay the fees. This despite the fact that the right to education has been recognised as a human right in a number of international conventions.
Sumaya Hareb Al Suwaidi, director of the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Education Zone, said over 460 expatriate students of different nationalities are still at home and could not join school this academic year.
"Their families are financially unable to pay the school fees at private schools here, and hence they are not attending classes."
The Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Charitable Educational Foundation has launched a special drive to help these students and see to it that they are registered at the private schools, she added.
"The foundation raised Dh450,000 as charity in just three hours to assist the needy students under the 'Lets help them' drive."
The campaign shall continue till the end of the 'Year of Zayed' to help low-income families educate their children at private schools, she pointed out.
"The foundation is already supervising four charity schools which are overcrowded with 1,750 students and cannot accept the registration of more students."
All the cases registered with the foundation are of low-income families whose monthly salaries are below Dh3,000 or those who have too many children, she explained. "The families in debt who cannot pay school fees are also supported by the foundation." 
Al Suwaidi indicated that expatriate students need to score 85 per cent in some subjects to remain enrolled in government schools. 
"However, the RAK Education Zone has referred a list of students who have failed to meet the score criteria to the ministry of education and requested that they be exempted from the condition considering the financial conditions of their families."
"The students living in remote areas where no private schools are available are also exempted from the score requirement."
- ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com