I am not British, so I don't think you can pull the race/ethnicity card. I know the principal is "old school" and often gets a bad rap, but my interactions with her as a parent have been very pleasant. In our interview she was welcoming and talked casually with my child . . . I did not find her intimidating at all. A group of concerned parents approached her about the traffic situation with concerns about safety (after the tragic incident at the Lebanese school) and as you can see, speed humps and a crosswalk have been installed over the term break. As for monetary issues, I don't think you can call DMBS "money hungry." Do they request payment for the next term in advance? Yes, but I am pretty sure ALL schools do this. I have heard that Compass (correct me if I am wrong) requests the ENTIRE tuition before school starts . . . that is something like 60 - 70,000 QR upfront!!! I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of cash sitting around. At QR25,500, with three installments for tuition payments, DMBS is hardly materialistic in comparison.

I guess I must have been vague, but my children go to DMBS and we are happy. Sorry to hear that you are not having the same experience.