School contract you signed legally binding in Dubai

Parents of school-going children in Dubai must learn that the contract they sign with their child's school is legal, and will resolve any disputes.

Hence, it's crucial that parents read the contract (in detail) before signing up. Amal Belhasa, Chief of Compliance & Resolution Commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), emphasised how the contract is legal, and is set up to protect and solve disputes.

"We encourage parents to read the parent-school contract carefully and if they have any queries, they should be addressed by the school before signing the contract. "The contract serves as a reference for resolving any disputes between the school and parent and reading it in detail is important."

Many parents admit that they blindly sign up, because, "it's just one more thing to look up". Sheila T (name changed) said she was shocked when hit with additional fees for after-school classes for her 7-year-old student of a "good" British school. "It's when I read up the contract I realised that I had agreed to pay up for any extra classes."

The contract details every point that a parent, and the school, must take into account. Another parent, whose son goes to a British school in Dubai, admitted that she was not presented the contract in full before signing up. "I was asked to sign up through the electronic pad, and told that the contract will be sent to my e-mail. So, clearly I had no idea what I was signing up for."

The KHDA agrees that they plan to eliminate such issues by making the contract available to parents via their mobile app. "We have introduced a new feature on the KHDA mobile app last year, which allows parents to read and sign the contract using their mobile device. This saves a lot of time for parents, as they no longer have to visit the school to sign the contract.