Private Schools Ordered to Cut Fees

[snoop1130]

Private Schools Ordered to Cut Fees

 

 

BANGKOK, Feb 4 (TNA) – The secretary-general of the Office of the Private Education Commission accepted an order from the prime minister to have private school operators cut their fees to compensate for past online services during the new Covid-19 wave.

 

Attapol Truektrong, the secretary-general, said he would check if any private schools still maintained their fees or duplicated any fee collection despite the recent suspension of their on-site school services. For the schools that did so, the OPEC would order their management to make refunds or exempt overcharged fees next year to protect parents, he said.

 

Full Story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-630626

 

-- © Copyright TNA 2021-02-04

 

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[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I'm at a private school. We're still working, we still need to get paid, the kids are still "learning" (some a lot more than others, which is business as usual) but ultimately they're still getting their scores toward their eventual diplomas, which is all anyone really wants. We've gone back and forth between in-class and online. We still have to prepare lessons and score papers in either case. We still keep in touch via online platforms. It's still a lot of work, perhaps even more than usual, for which I don't believe there should be any refund. For any canceled trips, special activities, meal plans, sure. But that's about it.

[2008bangkok]

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I'm at a private school. We're still working, we still need to get paid, the kids are still "learning" (some a lot more than others, which is business as usual) but ultimately they're still getting their scores toward their eventual diplomas, which is all anyone really wants. We've gone back and forth between in-class and online. We still have to prepare lessons and score papers in either case. We still keep in touch via online platforms. It's still a lot of work, perhaps even more than usual, for which I don't believe there should be any refund. For any canceled trips, special activities, meal plans, sure. But that's about it.

The parents are paying for their children to learn at school not at home. What about the added cost of parents having to pay for child care because the school are shut.

What about the money the schools are saving on things like electricity and other savings while the school are shut.

You dont think this should be taken into account?

[Mr Meeseeks]

My gf's kids were lucky if they were online for an hour a day. From what I witnessed one morning, there was someone talking on Zoom and then singing the anthem then that was it.

 

What were the teachers doing with their time I wonder? Was there no supervision or organisation? 

[lujanit]

What's next?  An executive order from uncle tu for private hospitals to cut their fees and publish the altered fee structure. It seems every idiot in this pseudo government wants their 15 seconds of fame. 

[2530Ubon]

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I'm at a private school. We're still working, we still need to get paid, the kids are still "learning" (some a lot more than others, which is business as usual) but ultimately they're still getting their scores toward their eventual diplomas, which is all anyone really wants. We've gone back and forth between in-class and online. We still have to prepare lessons and score papers in either case. We still keep in touch via online platforms. It's still a lot of work, perhaps even more than usual, for which I don't believe there should be any refund. For any canceled trips, special activities, meal plans, sure. But that's about it.

I'm sure we all agree that you should get paid. Let's face it, the fees from just one kid in school probably more than covers your annual salary. I don't think giving a 10-20 percent rebate is going to put you on the streets. Private schools are run for a profit - a fat one.

 

I don't think you would disagree that these parents are paying a fortune for a bespoke education, and they're not receiving that sitting at their desk on a computer at home.

 

Do you honestly believe that the kids are receiving the same educational experience? Are they in an immersive environment, able to talk with their friends freely and share ideas? Are they surrounded by educational resources, libraries, gym/sports equipment and a multitude of teachers they could instantly go to and ask a question?

 

Think about the parents who pay for all of this. They're now having to take time off work to look after their kids, or pay for someone to come and look after them. Everyone else has been affected by COVID, why do these institutions think they should be exempt?

Edited February 5, 2021 by 2530Ubon

[khunpeer]

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I'm at a private school. We're still working, we still need to get paid, the kids are still "learning" (some a lot more than others, which is business as usual) but ultimately they're still getting their scores toward their eventual diplomas, which is all anyone really wants. We've gone back and forth between in-class and online. We still have to prepare lessons and score papers in either case. We still keep in touch via online platforms. It's still a lot of work, perhaps even more than usual, for which I don't believe there should be any refund. For any canceled trips, special activities, meal plans, sure. But that's about it.

maybe your school made fantastic educational internetclass, but my daughter's school did not!

a 30 min vdo at 9am, another one at 11am and another one at 1pm!

nothing on Zoom, no personal touch, no direct contact with teachers and worst of it all: nothing new she learned, just repeating what she learned before...

it's a shame that such a recommendable school get's away with this...

return money? that would be the day... but it doesn't take away the lack of education! 

let's just hope that they won't keep the school open longer (because of 'lost schooldays') as by end March burning season will be at its peak!

[Forza2002]

Just the usual lip service by the PM to show that he is trying to look after the people. As usual nothing will happen, as a majority of the private schools are owned by influential families...

Edited February 5, 2021 by Forza2002

[Mike Rodik]

99 percent fluff anyway in thai school

[Jimbo2014]

Certainly teachers should still be paid but lets be honest, schools were using a fraction of the power and services they normally would, after school activities were cancelled.  Im all for proper compensation but some reimbursement is warrented. 

[sheldoncollier]

Electricity only accounts for a very small portion of a schools expenses. In any school, salaries make up 80-90% of costs, perhaps even closer to 90% in Thailand.

[MikeyIdea]

Difficult this one, as a parent paying half a million baht per child, I definately pay for result! Online teaching cannot match face to face teaching for children. On the other hand I understand Crunch so we have to compromise. 

 

Short time "force majore" is acceptable for tuition and rent but not for electricity, food, school bus etc. Electricity bill for a largish school with air-conditioning can be a million baht per month. Why should I pay for that? 

Edited February 5, 2021 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

6 minutes ago, sheldoncollier said:

Electricity only accounts for a very small portion of a schools expenses. In any school, salaries make up 80-90% of costs, perhaps even closer to 90% in Thailand.

A largish school can easily have a million bath per month in electricity bill. That is not negligible 

Edited February 5, 2021 by MikeyIdea

[Bob12345]

14 minutes ago, sheldoncollier said:

Electricity only accounts for a very small portion of a schools expenses. In any school, salaries make up 80-90% of costs, perhaps even closer to 90% in Thailand.

Salaries can be 90% of the costs, but parents are not charged costs but costs plus a huge profit. Everyone is suffering due to covid, why should private schools be allowed to still make their huge profits? If a school is a non-profit, they should be allowed to lower prices only a bit, if a school is for-profit they should be lowering their tuition fees a lot. 

[yankee99]

Online was a joke at my kids school under a hour per day not sure what the staff was doing the rest of the time. 

[jonclark]

7 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

I'm sure we all agree that you should get paid. Let's face it, the fees from just one kid in school probably more than covers your annual salary. I don't think giving a 10-20 percent rebate is going to put you on the streets. Private schools are run for a profit - a fat one.

 

I don't think you would disagree that these parents are paying a fortune for a bespoke education, and they're not receiving that sitting at their desk on a computer at home.

 

Do you honestly believe that the kids are receiving the same educational experience? Are they in an immersive environment, able to talk with their friends freely and share ideas? Are they surrounded by educational resources, libraries, gym/sports equipment and a multitude of teachers they could instantly go to and ask a question?

 

Think about the parents who pay for all of this. They're now having to take time off work to look after their kids, or pay for someone to come and look after them. Everyone else has been affected by COVID, why do these institutions think they should be exempt?

My son and daughter's school, an international one, went above and beyond in providing a full daily timetable with teachers online and teaching in every lesson.

 

Blanket statements like this serve no purpose other than reinforcing the idea that all online teaching is poor. 

 

Money that is returned or refunded will just mean private schools have less funds for buying resources, employing teachers etc further down the line. If you wish for your child to go to a school with fewer resources and larger classrooms then by all means ask for a refund. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonclark]

I would also question why government schools are not being requested to provide compensation. Many government schools have extra paid programms that run in parrallel to basic classes, surely if the government truly believes in their own words all government schools that take cash off parents should return it as well.

 

 

[jonclark]

3 minutes ago, jonclark said:

My son and daughter's school, an international one, went above and beyond in providing a full daily timetable with teachers online and teaching in every lesson.

 

Blanket statements like this serve no purpose other than reinforcing the idea that all online teaching is poor. 

 

Money that is returned or refunded will just mean private schools have less funds for buying resources, employing teachers etc further down the line. If you wish for your child to go to a school with fewer resources and larger classrooms then by all means ask for a refund. 

 

Or is the expectation that after the refunds are handed out all schools remain well staffed with low teacher:student ratios and are well resources? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[2530Ubon]

4 minutes ago, jonclark said:

My son and daughter's school, an international one, went above and beyond in providing a full daily timetable with teachers online and teaching in every lesson.

 

Blanket statements like this serve no purpose other than reinforcing the idea that all online teaching is poor. 

 

Money that is returned or refunded will just mean private schools have less funds for buying resources, employing teachers etc further down the line. If you wish for your child to go to a school with fewer resources and larger classrooms then by all means ask for a refund.

 

So what? My points are still valid. They are missing out on a lot that parents are paying for. An online education IS NOT the same as being in a classroom. Think about all the fees you are paying that your kids can't use - library, gym, snacks, field trips, building fees etc. 

 

They went above and beyond to provide a full daily timetable? NO, that's their job...their whole reason for being. Online teaching is a very poor substitute when you are already paying for a bespoke service. It is a gap filler. Online education is supposed to be a supplement, not full time.

 

Do you think these schools run tight budgets? Some of them charge close to a million baht a year - do you think these schools are not run at a very healthy profit? They're not government schools.

 

It's worth noting that nobody has suggested a full refund - they have suggested partial refunds, especially for fees that aren't being used.

[overt2016]

15 minutes ago, jonclark said:

 

well done by YOUR school.

As you must agree not all schools are the same.

[2530Ubon]

24 minutes ago, jonclark said:

I would also question why government schools are not being requested to provide compensation. Many government schools have extra paid programms that run in parrallel to basic classes, surely if the government truly believes in their own words all government schools that take cash off parents should return it as well.

Government schools have also been providing online classes. School fees for government schools are usually for IEP programs etc. They are able to be taught online. These fees are tiny in comparison to private schools. How do you know these fees have not been returned?

Edited February 5, 2021 by 2530Ubon

[jonclark]

6 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

 

So what? My points are still valid. They are missing out on a lot that parents are paying for. An online education IS NOT the same as being in a classroom. Think about all the fees you are paying that your kids can't use - library, gym, snacks, field trips, building fees etc. 

 

They went above and beyond to provide a full daily timetable? NO, that's their job...their whole reason for being. Online teaching is a very poor substitute when you are already paying for a bespoke service. It is a gap filler. Online education is supposed to be a supplement, not full time.

 

Do you think these schools run tight budgets? Some of them charge close to a million baht a year - do you think these schools are not run at a very healthy profit? They're not government schools.

 

It's worth noting that nobody has suggested a full refund - they have suggested partial refunds, especially for fees that aren't being used.

We will agree to disagree. 

 

Good luck with your request for a refund. 

[jonclark]

4 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Government schools have also been providing online classes. School fees for government schools are usually for IEP programs etc. They are able to be taught online. These fees are tiny in comparison to private schools. How do you know these fees have not been returned?

Do you know if they have?

[jonclark]

10 minutes ago, overt2016 said:

well done by YOUR school.

As you must agree not all schools are the same.

Agreed, not all schools are the same. But blanket statements assume all schools are the same. 

[2530Ubon]

3 minutes ago, jonclark said:

Agreed, not all schools are the same. But blanket statements assume all schools are the same. 

Which one of these blanket statements do you disagree with? You may disagree with the first statement, but then if you did, why on earth are you paying for your kids to go to a private school in the first place if your happy to have them sat a computer all day?

 

(Original post you responded to saying unhelpful blanket statement)

 

I don't think you would disagree that these parents are paying a fortune for a bespoke education, and they're not receiving that sitting at their desk on a computer at home.

 

Do you honestly believe that the kids are receiving the same educational experience? Are they in an immersive environment, able to talk with their friends freely and share ideas? Are they surrounded by educational resources, libraries, gym/sports equipment and a multitude of teachers they could instantly go to and ask a question?

 

Think about the parents who pay for all of this. They're now having to take time off work to look after their kids, or pay for someone to come and look after them. Everyone else has been affected by COVID, why do these institutions think they should be exempt?

[jonclark]

10 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Which one of these blanket statements do you disagree with? You may disagree with the first statement, but then if you did, why on earth are you paying for your kids to go to a private school in the first place if your happy to have them sat a computer all day?

 

(Original post you responded to saying unhelpful blanket statement)

 

I don't think you would disagree that these parents are paying a fortune for a bespoke education, and they're not receiving that sitting at their desk on a computer at home.

 

Do you honestly believe that the kids are receiving the same educational experience? Are they in an immersive environment, able to talk with their friends freely and share ideas? Are they surrounded by educational resources, libraries, gym/sports equipment and a multitude of teachers they could instantly go to and ask a question?

 

Think about the parents who pay for all of this. They're now having to take time off work to look after their kids, or pay for someone to come and look after them. Everyone else has been affected by COVID, why do these institutions think they should be exempt?

Any refund you get will be offset by a fee hike in fees for the next academic year. 

 

So make your valid arguements to your school, claim your refund and wait for the fee hike.

 

If you don't like that you are free to take your children out of that school and enroll at a new school and pay their enrollment and registration fees and their new fee structure.

 

Demand is high for private education in Bangkok, why do you think so many international schools are opening.

 

Schools will not be out of pocket and the parent will pay. 

 

That is the sad choice parents like you and I have.

[Bob12345]

On 2/5/2021 at 5:14 PM, jonclark said:

Any refund you get will be offset by a fee hike in fees for the next academic year.

That sentence undermines your previous statement:

Money that is returned or refunded will just mean private schools have less funds for buying resources, employing teachers etc further down the line. If you wish for your child to go to a school with fewer resources and larger classrooms then by all means ask for a refund. 

 

Plus it assumes schools will be able to hike the fees up, something that will be difficult the year after Covid where people have less money to spend and competing schools maybe not hiking up their fees. They might end up with even less kids if they do that.

 

Anyways, I would still prefer a fee hike the year after, as it will be more transparent.