Independent schools have increased their fees this year in an attempt to match the revised wages offered at State schools following an agreement between the government and the teachers union, it has emerged.
Parents with children in independent schools, who spoke to Times of Malta, confirmed that this year’s fees have been raised significantly, with the increase being higher than usual.
While the schools tended to raise fees at the start of every scholastic year, most parents said that as their children returned to school this week they were being told they would have to pay more than usual.
Research conducted by Times of Malta found that the increases, when compared to the fees for the previous year, varied from 7.5% to some 20% in some schools.
The parents said some schools had even admitted in the annual circular handed out at the start of the year that the fees had to be increased to cover the additional costs as a result of a commitment to match the various allowances offered to teachers in State and Church schools.
Other schools, while not officially informing parents why the bill sent was higher this time round, had hinted informally that the move was a result of the…
