Response to enrolment fees article

In the Aug/Sept issue of Expat Life there was an article “Bangkok’s international schools create barriers to change” the author raises the important subject of the substantial and non-refundable upfront fees charged by the city’s international schools. Called registration, enrolment or admissions fees, for some families these will certainly act as a ‘barrier to exit’ should they wish to look at changing schools, for whatever reason.

As an employee of an international school who has worked in this sector for a decade I have been asked to reply anonymously to this article. I will aim to highlight some of the reasons these fees exist and also offer some suggestions for families, whether they are new arrivals to the city, looking at schools for the first time or possibly considering a change to their child’s school.

The enrolment fees come from a time when there were fewer international schools and more families living here on the traditional expatriate packages. The international schools first started to charge the fees to ensure they had some guarantee that children of expatriate workers would take up a place offered in the school. This was, and still is, used to prevent parents accepting offers at several schools, as their child’s place was only guaranteed once the enrolment fee had been paid. In my experience, it is only when you chase parents to pay the enrolment fee that you find out if they will be taking up the place or not, with some families accepting original offers at three or more schools.

If for any reason an expat family does not take up their placement in the city, once the enrolment fee had been paid, the school who had counted the child into their numbers for that academic year would have some recompense. This is particularly important if the school has turned down another child for the same place, which would be difficult to fill once the academic year has commenced.

There is also a need for most schools to generate an additional revenue stream to go towards the high costs of campus development and recruiting new staff. Tuition fees normally only cover the day to day running costs of the school, so it is the additional fees that support the building of, and renovations to, school facilities and also the annual recruitment of the best international teachers. Both of these have high costs associated with them but are both incredibly important for attracting families to the school, and keeping them there once they have joined the school community.

Whilst enrolment fees were historically introduced at international schools in Bangkok partly due to the reasons outlined, they have now become standard practice, with every full-phase international school I am aware of levying this charge. However, as the author of the original piece points out, the international school and corporate landscapes in Bangkok are both changing. More schools open each year alongside existing schools increasing their capacities, however fewer families appear to be on the traditional packages whereby a sponsoring organisation covers all the school fees. At my school we have a rapidly increasing number of parents paying their own invoices for both the upfront and termly fees.

If you are looking to change schools for whatever reason, it is worth asking the schools you are considering moving to whether they are able to waive any of the upfront fees. In this competitive marketplace schools need to try and be flexible to the needs to their prospective parents, either by removing/reducing the enrolment charge full stop (which doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon) or at least in certain circumstances. I know some schools that are able to deduct the enrolment fee already paid at a previous school from their upfront fee.

I would also advise parents to make sure they visit several schools when making their initial choice. Of course, go and look at those recommended to you by colleagues and acquaintances, however make sure you go and see some schools that may not have been mentioned to you, based on your own child’s needs. As we all know every child is different and what might be right for your colleague’s family might not be suitable for your own.

Would you child prefer a smaller school with more individual attention, or a larger school that offers a very specific interest that they wish to continue? If your child is passionate about drama, which school offers the best opportunities for them to get stuck in? If gardening is their thing, which school has after-school activities that can nurture and grow this interest? Sometimes the most obvious choice isn’t always the one that is most suitable for your child. If your child is old enough and this is possible, take them to visit the schools up for consideration, their opinion may differ from yours!

As the author described, sometimes your preferred school is just not available due to the number of students, however in this instance speak to the schools involved and be honest with both your first and second choice schools. Some schools may be happy to offer a pro-rated enrolment fee based on you only being with them for one year whilst you wait for a place in your preferred school to become available.

A member of the senior academic team at my school read the original article to which I am responding and said that it “hit the nail right on the head” when it spoke about schools removing “barriers that hinder their customers from making changes when their needs are not being met.” Whilst I am unable to influence the international schools to remove their large enrolment fees, as the market influences change and more expats living in Thailand ask for these to be discounted, eventually we may find that these barriers get broken down.