This refers to the report “Parents and private schools ‘must sign detailed contracts’.” (Nov. 6)

An Education Department official, Nora Al-Uqala, has advised the parents as well as the private schools to sign contracts to delineate their respective responsibilities and a mutual understanding, preventing hike in school fees.

A commendable idea, but the objective of such contracts should be to encourage the parents to focus on their children’s education and career. This must also take into consideration the exorbitantly high fee structure in these private educational institutes.

The average annual fees (Grade 1-4) is about SR50,000 (approx.). For Grade 5-10, it may well go up to SR80,000.

There seems to be no control or audit on the fees charged by these schools when compared to the actual cost of education incurred by such schools that are mostly patronized by the expatriates. An average family with two children will therefore be shelling out an average of almost SR.140,000 on the educational needs of their children.

The Education Department should closely monitor and audit the fee structure of these schools and make them conform to a certain standard.

Renato C. Fernandes

By email