Should parents pay 100% school fees despite covid disruptions?

[fvw53]

On 9/12/2020 at 4:47 PM, possum1931 said:

No! You do not pay for what you don't get. Simples.

it means the teachers get no money for what they didn't offer ???

[KKr]

On 9/13/2020 at 3:43 PM, Bender Rodriguez said:

one has to think ... if your children are to remain in thailand, why spend millions in private schools ?  or does your job pay for everything or are you filthy rich ?

 

I plan to go to back to europe when it is time for university with my child

if going back requires different educational levels from the local education system here, the question will be:

how to make sure your kid will have the necessary knowledge, and the logical reasoning capabilities, to pass the entrance exams?

[richard_smith237]

My Son’s Int’l School in Bangkok has been amazing. 

 

I think the whole of the summer term was lost, however, there was online learning every school day. The teacher was excellent, online every day with lessons etc.

We were offered THVB 50,000 (approx 18%) discount on the usual THB 275,700 fees for the August to September Term. 

 

My Son is now back at school (from this week) during this January to April Term there have been a few weeks at the beginning where the school taught via online learning. Again, the school was outstanding, the teacher and use of resources was simply fantastic. 

I’m not expecting any refund on this terms THB 192,000 fees. If its offered I’ll gladly accept of course. 

I do expect a refund on the extra curricular activities we’d paid for. 

 

I can’t fault the school through any of the Covid-19 disruption. The teachers have been excellent, it must be far harder work for them having to teach from home via the various applications (teams etc) than it is to simply teach in class. 

 

 

The Schools have to pay full salary to the teachers - so I can’t see how they can offer too much discount, especially for the non-profit international’s schools (that comment will be criticised, but some are non-profit).

 

 

The School a friends son goes to (an expensive international school) has not had sufficient teachers to carry out online learning - this classes have been scraped completely. 

Not only would I move my son out of such a school, but I’d be demanding a refund. 

 

 

 

[Edit - didn’t realise this is quite an old thread - I’d already responded back in Sept]

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by richard_smith237

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, Mike Rodik said:

move your kids to a government school till uni

 

the degree is not worth the paper it was printed on anyway, private school or not

 

and it costs less than ONE expensive meal in a hotel/resto

You either have no kids or no money.

[2530Ubon]

On 9/12/2020 at 7:09 PM, tgw said:

of course not, it's better to let the school close of course.

They shouldn't charge the full fees - for example, they shouldn't be charging for lunches, snacks, milk, library fees, after school activities, school trip fees, music tuition (unless on-line) etc. 

[chilli42]

I have three kids in school.  One in university in Australia, one at boarding school in Canada and one at an international school in Bangkok.  The Australian and Canadian schools offered to reduce school fees when school was not in session  The basis of their reasoning was sound (how they arrived at the reduced fee).  So I paid a much reduced fee for e-learning at these two schools.  I put the missus on to the local international school, who had not offered to reduce their fee.  They did reduce their fee substantially.

[khunPer]

On 9/11/2020 at 12:00 PM, Ashmanator said:

Thoughts? I am meeting with the school next week to discuss, so would be interesting to other peoples thoughts.

There was an article in the news section a few days ago that schools, including private and international schools, should reduce the tuition fee for the period with no tuition or online tuition only; however, an administration fee was eligible.

 

 

One can speculate in the size of the administration fee compared to otherwise non refundable tuition fees...

 

Last year the international school my daughter attended (Y9) gave a discount for the last term, which was during the schools lockdown period that continued with partly online tuition (international terms are little different from Thai terms, i.e. last term ending July), it was about 8 percent of the total yearly tuition fee.

 

This year the school-year lockdown has been minor where I live, i.e. a few weeks so far, so I don't expect any reduction if fees...????

[1FinickyOne]

On 9/12/2020 at 4:47 PM, possum1931 said:

You do not pay for what you don't get. Simples.

then it is very important to understand what you do get... there are always 2 sides. 

 

lets look at a bit more of the picture. 

 

was there extra work for the teachers in putting together online curriculum?

is there added expense in having people doing temp checks etc.?

is there added expense in erecting barriers between desks to keep distancing even safer?

is there added expense in disinfecting every inch of the school to protect the students? It's a big place. 

do the teachers and staff need their salary so they can live and eat while school is closed? 

if the school takes in less revenue, do you want them on the edge of bankruptcy? 

 

we have paid for next term and I did not hear of a refund. My kid loves her school. I hope they are not too badly hurt by these extra costs I have listed and there are probably more. There are costs for everyone in this pandemic. I do not want to see this school become bankrupt. 

[1FinickyOne]

13 hours ago, Neeranam said:

You either have no kids or no money.

Scotland speaks!

 

Fortunately I am the grandfather-father - the mom and dad were broke before they began this journey... 

[1FinickyOne]

On 9/11/2020 at 6:11 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Both our daughters go to a private school, they didn't return to school till I believe June, and we were charged for the April to September terms.

 

The above said, we frequented the school a couple of times to collect books and uniforms for the girls, we saw teachers there who were doing whatever they were doing together, meetings, preparing, etc, etc,.

 

The important thing here to understand from where I am coming is that the school has to pay the teachers, the gardeners, admin staff, etc, etc, to keep them employed so as to be able to teach our kids when they return to school, now if they don't charge us for it, then what, they pay for it out of their pocket, Covid wasn't their making, and not ours, it is what it is.

 

We are not fussed about the differences in the money for the period they didn't go to school, we look at it as supporting the teachers and the school during that period.

 

That's my take on it anyway, each to their own.

Yes!!!

 

Some good common sense.. This surely is challenging for the school too. There are costs and casualties to a pandemic. I want the school to survive. 

[NoshowJones]

54 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

then it is very important to understand what you do get... there are always 2 sides. 

 

lets look at a bit more of the picture. 

 

was there extra work for the teachers in putting together online curriculum?

is there added expense in having people doing temp checks etc.?

is there added expense in erecting barriers between desks to keep distancing even safer?

is there added expense in disinfecting every inch of the school to protect the students? It's a big place. 

do the teachers and staff need their salary so they can live and eat while school is closed? 

if the school takes in less revenue, do you want them on the edge of bankruptcy? 

 

we have paid for next term and I did not hear of a refund. My kid loves her school. I hope they are not too badly hurt by these extra costs I have listed and there are probably more. There are costs for everyone in this pandemic. I do not want to see this school become bankrupt. 

One question. Has the unelected "PM" and his soldiers lost any part of their income because of the pandemic? 

[1FinickyOne]

30 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

One question. Has the unelected "PM" and his soldiers lost any part of their income because of the pandemic? 

what in the world does that have to do with school charges? 

 

I could ask you a question abt string theory and quantum physics... but it doesn't really seem relevant... 

[Presnock]

for all following this.  Last year our school in CM after the PTA complained and they eventually gave us a 30% on the following semester tuition.  I myself had seen that the school had already prepared for online learning due to closure by pollution and our kids didn't really miss any in school teaching.  I also realize that many couples use the school system to baby sit so if the kids can't go to school then the parents have to fork out extra money.  I was actually shocked when the school did drop the tuition and definitely didn't complain at all.  If you follow the TVforum  then you should have noticed that several weeks ago the govt said that all schools that charge tuition including private schools, should drop appropriate tuition or refund money already paid.  In yesterday's news this has now been ordered by the govt for ALL schools.  So if one wishes they should be contacting their school about lowering tuition or refunds and they can blame the govt, not the  parents.  If I get any refund, I will just give it to the kids or wife as a govt gift to help their mental health due to the virus.

 

[NoshowJones]

26 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

what in the world does that have to do with school charges? 

 

I could ask you a question abt string theory and quantum physics... but it doesn't really seem relevant... 

I will just say one last thing, if the people who are supposed to be running the country will not make sacrifices, why

should the ordinary people? I could also go on about theory and quantum physics, but it would just get boring.

[DavisH]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

what in the world does that have to do with school charges? 

 

I could ask you a question abt string theory and quantum physics... but it doesn't really seem relevant... 

And last time I checked, the PM won the last election. 

[khunPer]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

[Edit - didn’t realise this is quite an old thread - I’d already responded back in Sept]

Thanks, I didn't also not notice that before replying, as the post was in yesterday's (4th February 2021) Thaivisa newsletter.

 

I however couldn't post more yesterday due to Thaivisa web server overload (I think it was "error 553" or like), is it only me experience that, and now more regularly often than before..?

[BuddyPish]

No they should NOT!

The international school I send my daughter to has been abysmal.

Last term, they palmed parents off with pre-recorded video lessons in core subjects like Maths & English while offering real-time tuition in peripheral subjects like Chinese and Music. Obviously, children can't ask a pre-recorded video questions so they have to ask parents. It's fine for me because I'm a native English speaker but there are many Thai, Korean and Chinese parents who were unable to field questions, leaving their children at a marked disadvantage.

Sorry but when I pay nigh on 200,000 a term for my daughter to be educated by professional teachers, I don't expect to have to deliver the education myself at home. The school has offered a pitiful discount for next term based on what they saved on utilities (about 18k).

 

I won't name the school but if they don't deliver a meaningful refund for last term's tuition fees, I will be consulting my lawyer.

[deelee]

On 9/13/2020 at 10:29 AM, KhunKenAP said:

They are only following the Thai tradition, which is to charge the same, or more to make up for any losses.

 

You are asking for reason from a system that only teaches memorization, not free or critical thinking.

Well that's the way it is across the board. Went for an ear syringe early this year, was told 450 bt per ear, mentioned it was 300 a few months before for a friend, and got the expected reply, covid, no customers.

 

For school, this term's invoice included a 15% discount for the previous term, so I expect the same to apply for the next invoice.

[Hamus Yaigh]

Our private school in Bangkok with 70% English 30% Thai has just finished a long term May-Oct where every lesson was online at home with teachers teaching from their homes. The school building was never used. The next term offers the same with no news on a reopening. In mean time the fees remained 100% pre pandemic. So the parents spent more with home computers, home class rooms and food as well as needing to keep a minder at home whilst paying the same school fees.

 

During home schooling the teachers and kids seemed to get along well and progress, but many families, including us, have objected to the fees remaining unchanged and removed their kids from the school entirely after end of term exams, to continue online schooling with other organizations that offer only online systems at a fraction of the price.