Terms & Conditions

Merit Education Foundation (referred to as "Merit", "we", "us" or "our") is a registered charity operating in England and Wales (Charity Registration Number: 1234567), with its principal place of business at Merit House, London, United Kingdom.

Merit Education Foundation operates with a dual purpose: (1) providing premium one-to-one online Quran teaching as a paid educational service, and (2) running charitable programmes to fund education for disadvantaged, orphaned, and underprivileged children worldwide. These two activities are operated separately, with distinct financial streams, in accordance with UK charity law.

For all enquiries: info@meriteducation.org | +44 20 0000 0000

By accessing our website (meriteducation.org), booking a lesson, making a donation, creating an account, or using any of our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions.

If you are booking on behalf of a minor (a person under 18), you confirm that you are the parent or legal guardian of that child and that you accept these terms on their behalf. You are responsible for ensuring your child complies with all applicable terms during lessons.

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email. Continued use of our services after notification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Merit Education Foundation provides the following services:

• One-to-one online Quran lessons via secure video platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
• Structured learning programmes including Qaida, Quran Reading, Tajweed and Hifz
• Progress reports, tutor feedback and parent consultations
• Digital skills and educational support programmes

• Free education for sponsored, orphaned, and disadvantaged children
• Scholarship programmes funded entirely by charitable donations
• Community education outreach in 30+ countries

All lesson bookings are subject to the following terms:

• Booking Confirmation: A booking is only confirmed upon receipt of payment or written confirmation from Merit staff. Enquiry form submissions do not constitute a confirmed booking.
• Free Trial: We offer one complimentary trial lesson per new student. This cannot be transferred or exchanged for credit.
• Rescheduling: You may reschedule a lesson by providing at least 24 hours' notice. Rescheduling with less than 24 hours' notice may result in forfeiture of the session fee.
• Cancellations: Please refer to our Refund Policy for full details on cancellations and refunds.
• Tutor Assignment: Merit reserves the right to assign or reassign tutors based on availability, subject specialism, and student needs. We will always notify parents of tutor changes in advance.
• Recording: Lessons are recorded for safeguarding purposes with the consent of the parent/guardian. Recordings are stored securely and not shared publicly.

Lesson fees are charged as follows and are subject to change with 30 days' prior notice to existing students:

• Payment Methods: We accept all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfer (BACS). All payments are processed via secure, encrypted payment gateways.
• VAT: All prices stated are inclusive of any applicable taxes. Merit Education Foundation's educational services may be exempt from VAT under UK law.
• Lesson Fees are NOT donations: Payment for lessons does not qualify as a charitable donation and is not Gift Aid eligible. A separate voluntary donation can be made via our Donate page.
• Late Payment: We reserve the right to suspend access to lessons if payment is 7 or more days overdue.

Donations to Merit Education Foundation are entirely voluntary, separate from lesson fees, and governed by the following terms:

• Voluntary Nature: No donation is required to access lesson services. All charitable giving is entirely at your discretion.
• Gift Aid: If you are a UK taxpayer, you may consent to Gift Aid, allowing Merit to reclaim 25p per £1 donated from HMRC at no additional cost to you. You must notify us if you stop paying sufficient UK income tax.
• Use of Funds: 70% of donations fund student programmes, 15% fund materials and resources, 10% cover administration, and 5% support emergency welfare. Annual impact reports are published on our website.
• Non-refundable: Donations are generally non-refundable. In exceptional circumstances, please see our Refund Policy.
• Zakat & Sadaqah: We accept Zakat and Sadaqah donations. Zakat donations are ring-fenced for eligible recipients as per Islamic jurisprudence and will be confirmed on request.

The safety of every child in our care is our highest priority. By booking lessons, you agree to and acknowledge the following safeguarding terms:

• All Merit tutors are DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked before working with any student.
• Lessons are conducted via approved, secure video platforms. No private messaging between tutor and student is permitted.
• Parents and guardians may observe any lesson at any time without prior notice.
• All sessions are recorded with parental consent and retained for a maximum of 90 days for safeguarding review purposes.
• Any safeguarding concern must be reported immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at safeguarding@meriteducation.org.

All users of Merit Education Foundation's services (parents, students, tutors, donors, and visitors) must adhere to the following standards of conduct:

• You must not use our services for any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.
• You must not harass, abuse, or intimidate tutors, staff, or other users in any form, including via our platform, email, or social media.
• You must not record, screenshot, or redistribute lesson content without prior written consent from Merit Education Foundation.
• You must not attempt to contact assigned tutors directly outside the Merit platform, or solicit tutors for private lessons without Merit's knowledge.
• You must not provide false, misleading, or inaccurate information when registering, booking, or donating.

Violation of these conduct standards may result in immediate termination of your account and services, without refund.

All content on our website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, lesson materials, progress reports, videos, and course structures, is the intellectual property of Merit Education Foundation or its licensed partners and is protected under UK and international copyright law.

• You may not reproduce, distribute, or commercially exploit any Merit content without prior written authorisation.
• Lesson materials shared with students are for personal educational use only and may not be resold, redistributed, or published.
• The "Merit Education Foundation" name, logo, and associated branding are registered trademarks. Unauthorised use is prohibited.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Merit Education Foundation shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to Merit Education Foundation in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Either party may terminate this agreement by providing written notice. Merit Education Foundation reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access to our services immediately, without notice or refund, in cases of:

• Breach of these Terms & Conditions or our Safeguarding Policy
• Non-payment of lesson fees for 14 days or more
• Abusive, threatening, or inappropriate conduct toward staff, tutors, or other users
• Fraudulent activity or misrepresentation

Upon termination, all outstanding lesson fees become immediately payable. Pre-paid lessons may be subject to our Refund Policy.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

For disputes relating to charitable donations or fundraising activities, we are also subject to the oversight of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us: