Hong Kong parents threaten to pull children from American International School in fees row
- Parents had been pushing for 30 per cent reduction on tuition fees after coronavirus shut schools in city
- But some will get just HK$3,000 after paying out more than HK$135,000 for the year
Parents are threatening to withdraw their children from a Hong Kong international school after it offered them a maximum HK$8,000 (US$1,032) rebate on school fees that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A group of parents had been pushing for a 30 per cent cut from American International School Hong Kong, and called the offer “hardly enough” to help them cope with the financial difficulties arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.
The school has applied the financial relief to this and the next academic year. In a letter on Wednesday, head of school Anita Simpson said staff had been looking for ways to support parents during the “unprecedented human and economic crisis”.
“Please note that we expect to receive additional funding from the government’s Covid-19 Employment Support Scheme, and this future funding has already been included in the financial relief measures outlined below,” Simpson wrote.
As part of the scheme, eligible schools can claim up to HK$9,000 per staff member a month, for six months. With more than 90 staff, including teachers and educational assistants, the school could receive a maximum of HK$800,000 a month, and HK$4.8 million over half a year.