Following widespread media reports about substantial increases in tuition fees, Caretaker Education Minister Abbas Al-Halabi on Friday issued a formal communication to private, non-tuition-free schools, warning that any tuition hike that is put in place without a prior, comprehensive school budget, which is approved by the parents' committee and reviewed by the ministry, constitutes a legal violation.

In his letter, Al-Halabi instructed the ministry’s administration to ensure that private, non-tuition-free schools adhere to dividing tuition fees into three installments, reminding that the first installment should not exceed 30% of the previous academic year’s annual fee. Additionally, any admission or registration fees imposed by schools must not surpass 10% of the fee collected in the previous academic year; this fee must always be considered part of the annual fee.

The minister also stressed that salaries and wages should constitute at least 65% of the school’s budget, with other operational expenses making up no more than 35%. Any expenses exceeding these limits must be listed in a separate account and should not be included in the 65%-35% ratio, the letter pointed out