Parents of students at Hong Kong international school demand 30 per cent cut in tuition fees amid economic downturn caused by pandemic
- Parents at Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong say the management should take a cue from its Dubai branch which has reduced fees by 15 per cent
- But school principal says it is not possible to provide a discount on tuition fees without cutting down on services
More than 240 parents of students at a Hong Kong international school have demanded a 30 per cent cut in its tuition fees, warning that they would withdraw their children from classes if it did not respond by Wednesday.
Parents at Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong said they had difficulties in paying monthly tuition fees amid the economic downturn brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and the school should take a cue from its Dubai branch and offer a reduction in fees.
But school principal Brian Cooklin told parents on Tuesday that the school had already offered a freeze in fees for the 2020-21 academic year.
“It is not possible to provide a discount on tuition fees without damaging the service being provided. This could only be achieved through redundancies of teachers, as staffing is the major expenditure,” Cooklin wrote in an email response to parents.
“We have introduced pay cuts, a recruitment-and-pay freeze, and reduced other costs for the next session,” he added.
He told the Post parents with financial difficulties could avail their bursary scheme.