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Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s Nord Anglia International School backtracks on fees, offers parents 12 per cent tuition discount
- Reduction will be applied to the first term of the coming school year
- The school pointed to the government’s new relief scheme, along with their own cutbacks, in explaining the turnabout
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A week after saying it was “not possible” to reduce fees without affecting services, a Hong Kong international school has made a U-turn – offering parents a 12 per cent discount attributed to cutbacks and the government’s newest coronavirus relief package.
Parents at Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong had earlier petitioned for a 30 per cent cut in school fees, citing financial difficulties amid an economic downturn caused by the pandemic, with some warning they might withdraw their children if the school did not respond.
Classes at Hong Kong kindergartens and schools have been suspended since early February due to Covid-19, with most students resorting to online learning even as parents still pay full tuition fees.
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But principal Brian Cooklin told parents last week it was impossible to provide a discount without damaging the services offered, saying it could “only be achieved through redundancies of teachers, as staffing is the major expenditure”.
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On Monday, however, he backtracked and announced the school would give a 12 per cent discount on tuition fees for term three, between April and June, in the form of a credit note that would be applied to term one of the upcoming academic year.
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