The surging fees of some private schools have caused some parents to complain of added financial burden. International schools, in particular have increased their prices to 20-30 percent this year leading parents to condemn the cost that sometimes exceed their housing budget.

Hussain Mustafa has two children studying in the elementary school, “I was surprised to learn of the shocking two thousand Saudi riyal additional cost that we weren’t informed of,” Mustafa said, “but when we asked the administration, we discovered that the ministry had allowed for this raise,” he annoyingly added.

Khaled Al-Ghamdi said his child’s school has raised its fees claiming the need to recruit new teachers for the elementary school. The ministry permitted the school owner to make the price rise to allow for the new recruitment, “which makes school fees a bigger burden than housing.”

Al-Ghamdi added that such additional charges should take into consideration with providing students with additional services.

Mohammed Youssef, a member of private school committee in Jeddah Chamber, told Arab News that the price rise wasn’t random. “The ministry allowed for such an increase in fees after careful studying the justification for the increase, and parents were notified of the price raise,” Youssef explained adding that some schools are still demanding the same old fees while others, like the new international schools, have decided to raise higher their prices.

Economist Mustafa Khalifa, a member of the Saudi Economic Association, said that private schools are considered a partner of the governmental education sector. “Utmost care is expected from these schools which to bring up the future generations. However, some schools don’t pay attention to its educational and scientific role and are just there for making profit,” Khalifa said. He added that with a revenue of 40 percent, private schools are very profitable business project for Saudis and expats who want to give their children a better educational opportunity for a better future.

The 20-30 percent increase in not new. The increasing demand and poor governmental supervision have made school owners keen on making the increase an annual habit. Fees of some private schools have sometimes reached rates exceeding some of the universities’ tuition fees.

Schools are seen to be using the parents’ need to put their senior students in high schools seeking better grades that allows them admission at high quality colleges. Also, private schools provide students with better English language skills when compared to English education in governmental schools.

What makes the situation deplorable is that 70 percent of private schools are located in rented buildings with unsuitable educational environment.