A private school in Dubai (Winchester school) did not allow a four-year-old student (Sanan Bess Joseph) to attend classes after her unemployed mother failed to pay her school fees.
Here is what else GulfNews reports on this disturbing case:
"They called me around 11am and said that I should take her home as she will not be allowed to attend classes until I pay. When I said I do not drive, they informed [me] that Sanan is out of her class and will be sent home [on] the school bus," Shalini Joseph, the mother of the KG-1 student, said.
Little Sanan returned home and told her mother "an aunty" took her out of the classroom when all her friends were still inside, and she did not have any place to sit. "I felt so bad because she is too small to understand what it means and why they did it. She was upset because she had no place to sit. When she asked me, I did not have any answers for her," said the irate mother.
Shalini explained she was unable to pay the fees because she lost her job and her husband's salary is hardly enough to pay their rent.
"I met the principal two weeks ago and explained my financial plight. I also promised that as soon as I land in my new job in April, I will settle the pending dues, which amounts to Dh2,200," said Shalini.
its very disappoint how the school acts. these are difficult times, and it looks like the mother explained to the director of the school her situation and promised to pay soon. Why would the school just send the little girl and her classmates saw this, she didn't have a seat on that day..... this is humiliation. They could take her after classes are over and say to mother, don't bring her tomorrow, right?
dubai doesn't have obligatory free primary school education for all residents, only for citizens.. that's how things work.. school are there to make money, if you don't pay, your child will not study
I can undrstand the parents' financial situation but private schools are not charities. There many school that hardly manage to cover their costs. also, there are new regualtions by the Ministry of Education that schools need to comply with.