At Aldar Education, we are very well-aware of the impact that the current period of uncertainty has had on our families and we understand the economic challenges that many in our community are facing. One of the key pillars of Aldar Education is to provide an inclusive, holistic education for all students regardless of background or ability.
Distance learning
Our entire education team has united to share best practices and refine our learning model following feedback from parents and students alike and we are very confident that we are providing the highest quality, impactful distance learning programmes in the UAE.
Parent feedback through our independent survey line, and directly to our schools has been overwhelmingly positive. We are proud of our students and parents who have risen to this challenge with the same passion, hard work and sense of community that they always demonstrate. As a group, we had already invested in education technology and teacher training ahead of the school suspensions and so we were very well positioned for when students started distance learning.
We are pleased with the work we have done in providing learning resources and support to other schools outside of our network to ensure the continuation of learning across the UAE.
Supporting our families
Our leadership team has delivered a proposal to ensure that all of our families are supported through the current period of uncertainty. As a team, we were unanimously aligned at the outset of this task in our belief that all families are impacted by the current situation and therefore it is our commitment that all families must benefit from these measures and not through introducing any type of means testing formulae. Regardless of this being a much tougher ask, we are sincere in our message that we are all in this together.
Term 3 fees
As a result, we have collectively agreed that Aldar Academies will implement a reduction in school fees of 20% for Term 3 of the current academic year with the option to pay these fees over a four-month period.
Academic Year 2020/21
Furthermore, we understand that the economic impact of the current situation may be felt for longer than a few months, so we will be introducing a 0% interest monthly payment plan for the 2020-2021 academic year to help our parents manage their expenditure and avoid external loans to pay school fees. This is in addition to any catering and transport refunds already processed for Term 3.
Additional Support
We also understand we may need to do more for some families, so we will establish an ‘all in this together’ fund to support those families who have been significantly impacted financially, and to support those who may be impacted in the future. We will be able to share further information on this initiative in due course.