By IANS
Dubai : Expatriate Indian families in Qatar, already trying to cope with rising living costs, will now have to contend with higher school fees too.
Three Indian community schools in the Gulf country have announced a hike in school fees by up to 20 percent, The Peninsula newspaper reported.
The first to announce an increase in fees was MES Indian School, the largest expatriate school in Qatar. The hike ranges between 10-20 percent over the classes and will be effective from Sep 1, when the school reopens after summer vacation.
School authorities claim the decision to hike fees was approved by the country's education ministry.
Doha Modern Indian School (DMIS) has also announced a 10 percent increase citing inflation, while the Ideal Indian School (IIS) has also proposed a hike in fees from Sep 1.
"The decision to effect a nominal hike is to meet the extra financial burden to be incurred by the school management following its decision to effect a 25 percent hike in the salary of teaching staff," the Peninsula quoted IIS president Hassan Kunhi as saying.
"We are not against schools offering a better salary to teachers. But it should not be exclusively at the cost of students," a parent told the newspaper.
"We are already struggling to cope with the rent and the ever increasing prices of essential commodities. The fee hike is a final blow on parents," said Abdul Whab, a Qatar resident.
Indians comprise around 18 percent of Qatar's population of around 890,000.