Woman shares daughter's school fee breakdown: ₹14 lakh tuition, bus, food cost extra

A Dubai-based content creator has shared a breakdown of what she spends on her daughter's schooling in the UAE, saying the annual tuition fee at an international school alone comes to around AED 55,000 (approximately ₹14.34 lakh). She also highlighted several other costs, including transport, assessment, uniforms and food.

Veronika, who describes herself online as a "mom of two living in Dubai", often posts about her family's life in the city. In a recent Instagram video, she addressed a question she said she was frequently asked: "How much school in Dubai actually costs."

Tuition costs around ₹14.34 lakh a year

Veronika said her daughter had recently enrolled at GEMS International School in Dubai. She explained that families first have to pay an assessment fee of AED 525 (around ₹13,000) before the child undergoes the assessment.

She said the annual tuition at the school was approximately AED 55,000 (around ₹14.34 lakh), with parents having the option of paying the amount in instalments.

School bus and uniform add to expenses

Transport is charged separately, according to Veronika. She said the school bus costs about AED 12,000 (approximately ₹3.12 lakh) annually and collects children from their homes before taking them back after school.

The school uniform also comes at an additional cost of around AED 1,000 (approximately ₹26,000), she said.

Food not covered by tuition fee

Veronika said the cost of food was another expense that had caught her by surprise. "Food is not included in the tuition fee," she said, adding that she prepares her daughter's lunch every morning and sends her to school with a lunchbox.

Social media users debate Dubai's education costs

The video triggered a discussion among social media users, with several commenting on the high cost of private education in Dubai and the UAE.

"Crazy, it's cheaper to study in the USA, it's even free sometimes," one user commented.

"That's a lot of money for just a kid, it's like you are paying for university tuition," another wrote.

"Education is very expensive in gulf countries, that's why everyone is going to Europe and USA to educate their children," a third user said.

Another user noted that more affordable schools were available, writing, "There are cheaper schools for 8000 and 6000 dhs, but this school is the most expensive one in UAE, and of course for Emirates ppl there are free schools [that] give excellent education too."

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)