Somtawin ejecting kids with late paying parents

[Procyon]

Two parents with kids at Somtawin English have independently told me that the school has threatened to send their kids home because they are late on fee payments that they were previously allowed to pay monthly. Is it true?

If the school is being run like an Italian mafioso business many may have second thoughts about sending their kids there.

[Spitfire]

Sorry to say, but they are mostly all primarily run as businesses, the baht line is the deity on this front, providing quality anything else is secondary/accidental if they have temporarily and unwittingly employed someone who knows what they are doing but won't stay for too long as the employer has no idea how to keep the right people, will just use them till they quit, hence the constant change and restructuring. Usual MO really in many, but not all, places IMO.

Same all over the place, schools/colleges run as personal fiefdoms by private families/organisations etc. Government schools aren't much better, just the fiefdom of the government service director instead and behaves as such.

It all a smokescreen really, as with so much else really.

It's no different anywhere else either, the educational industry section entities are monsters with the impunity to do as they wilt and little latitude for change or progression.

Maybe in 20 years it will change.

Edit- Typos

[JW]

I dont have children so no vested interest, but from the outside why should should some not pay when others others do. Is it not the same as any other payment for a service given - if you dont pay then the service is not available. From what I have heard the school runs at a loss to the owners - maybe some others who know more can give more info.

[crazy88]

And what happens if you do not pay your school fees at Eaton or Harrow? Fairly sure you would get some grace but eventually?

Crazy 88

[Procyon]

So would it be ok for a hospital to eject a sick patient that is behind on his bill?

Not really seeking opinion - just clarification of whether this is actually happening, potential patrons should be aware.

[poosmate]

I have two children in Somtawin.
I read several months ago in the Farrang led Parent Teacher Club newsletter that unpaid fees were a problem. One of the suggestions was, alarmingly in my view, to eject these pupils.
I can see that the owners of Somtawin want to make a profit from their business. I do not agree though that the Parent Teacher club should be encouraging this method of dealing with parents who are struggling to find fees.Surely a club such as this should be finding ways to help parents and suggesting ways to ensure their children's education does not suffer?
Maybe with the permission of the parent could an appeal be made for financial assistance for genuine hardship?
I think it would have to be a very hard faced parent who would jeopardise their child's education deliberately.

[Aussie Mark]

I think this is quite fair, the school has expenses and everyone else is paying.
Here in OZ my son goes to a private boys school and we pay fees in advance I would love to not to have to pay the $15,000 AUD
Oh and JW you dont have kids that you know of anyway.Saw heaps of youngins in your bar that looked like you

[poosmate]

I fully agree that fees need to be paid. In places like the UK and Australia poorer parents have cheaper/free alternatives that will still see their children are educated adequately.This is not the case in Thailand.
My point was about the Parent Teacher Club who on my opinion should be trying to help parents who are struggling.

[JW]

Cheers Mark! there are lots of baldies in HH, but most are older than me!

[Takiap]

Are some of you just having a laugh or what? Hey, I'll nip down and buy a new car tomorrow, and then stop paying the installments. After all, nobody wants to loose a new car intentionally, so surely Toyota would understand, and just let me keep the car.

If you can't afford to send your kids to an international school, then don't. Send them some place you can afford. I can't afford to send mine to one, so I have to settle for the next best. This is life, whether you're in Thailand or not. Sure it's different in the UK, but Thailand is not a welfare state, and we all knew that when we moved here. I can't afford an expensive hospital in Bangkok, but I know that and I accept that. Why should a farang be allowed to send their kids to an international and not pay fees, while the Thais can't. I'm sure a lot of Thais would want to, but they know they can't afford it, and so they don't.

If you can't pay your rent, you're out.......get used to it. This is Thailand, and yes, I agree, if you can't pay the school fess, find a cheaper school.

[Spitfire]

Absolutely Takiap, they are simply private businesses and it correlates with my previous post.

Business is business here, no fluffy sentimentality that exists where we all come from.

[terry+carmen]

Procyon no children have been excluded, suspended or sent home because parents have not paid school fees this semester. I am the Chairman of the PTC and yes we do support the school in taking action against parents who intentionally do not pay school fees. Why?

At the start of this school year in June, 30 parents did not or could pay school fees an agreement was reached with some parents to pay monthly. In most cases this worked well but some parent made no payments whatsoever. By the end of the semester despite repeated attempts to get these outstanding fees the school had to write off about 1 million in unpaid school fees.

About three weeks before the start of the current semester all parents were asked to pay fees before school started on the 12 October. Incentives were offered for early payment and the school remained open over the holidays to receive payments. By the end of the first week of school 61 parents had not paid school fees; that's about 20% or 2.7 million in outstanding fees. As far as I know no parents had contacted the school asking to make a late payment, I will confirm that on Monday. The school cannot survive in its current form if only 80% of parents pay fees.

For parents who are struggling to pay talk to the school, make arrangements to pay monthly and stick to the agreement. I'm a fee paying parent too and have to make sacrifices to send my children to school. As parents we all have choices, Somtawin is not the only school in Hua Hin and if I could not pay the fees I would look for an alternative school that charges less.

[poosmate]

Why should a farang be allowed to send their kids to an international and not pay fees

Who said the late payers were Farrang?
Somtawin is not an international school and has many Thai pupils.
I personally consider this school the only place locally available for some children and there are no alternatives in Hua Hin. Unless their education needs are not met.
The business of running a successful school is to consider the welfare of pupils first.
For a school to be successful in Thailand in my opinion, it should be run as many private schools in the Uk - non profit .
I as a parent was trying to care about others that are maybe in financial difficulty and was making a point that the PTC should be trying to help these people and not be interested in the schools finances.
The school has been able to offer discount to parents who are able to pay early. Unless the school is so desperate to get money it is forced to give away money to parents who would pay anyway. I do not understand why such a discount is necessary or good business.
Surely a discount if possible could be offered to those who need it?
Some here obviously do not care that children are being affected and show no compassion to those in difficulty.
Comparing education and child welfare with purchasing a car.
Another point I and all here know this is Thailand. Just because this is the way the Thais deal with a situation does it make it okay?
This school PTC is farrrang lead and therefore has the advantage of knowing how a foreign country successfully educates it children and how a school should be run. Far from just laying down as other here obviously do its job should be to try to encourage school owners to change and adapt.

[hhfarang]

So would it be ok for a hospital to eject a sick patient that is behind on his bill?

That happens here all the time in the private hospitals...

[terry+carmen]

Poosmate as a parent of two children in Somtawin who obviously cares about the welfare of the children come along to the next PTC meeting, find out how many parents have not paid and the reasons for not paying we can then discuss how we can do more to help those in need, not those who deliberately avoid paying fees. We have already helped Thai parents who have approached us and explained there financial problems. We arranged a meeting with the school and both parties agreed a payment schedule which is still in force. During the past 2 1/2 years no Farrang parent has asked for our help. You are correct about late payers it's almost a 50/50 split Farrang and Thai. You are wrong to assume the school makes a profit, as JW has pointed out it runs at a loss.

If you cannot attend the meeting you can find me in school most days. I will be cooking the BBQ on Sports Day this Friday, lets meet and discuss your views.