Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil has ordered provincial education administrations to stop private schools from increasing tuition fees, unless approved by the ministry.

In the circular sent to all regional departments, the minister said that committees would assess all applications for raising fees, and consider complaints from parents against schools.

Officials supervising private schools in Makkah said the directive is an attempt to prevent schools from raising fees without clear reasons. School fees have been an increasing problem for parents recently, they said.

Saleh Al-Hamdan, an education expert, said regulating tuition fees at private schools would ensure better education outcomes. Schools have been raising fees as a means to create the impression that they offer better education.

He said many that have raised their fees in recent years have not shown any improvement in performance. These schools have claimed that they have to charge more because of rising running costs, including salaries of teachers.

Abdul Hamid Al-Saadi, another expert, said the move should be extended to international schools because they also fall under the education ministry. Some of these schools have doubled their fees in less than five years. This approach would make schools focus more on education rather than profits.

Fatima Abbasi, a former administrative official at an international school, said international schools have raised their fees without undertaking any studies. They have done so to compete with other schools, and make an impression on parents.

She said some international schools did so on an annual basis in recent years, knowing that government would not intervene. They also wanted to reduce the number of poor students.