Private Schools Will Refund Meal and Transport Fees! Schools across the country have been closed for nearly two months as part of measures to combat the coronavirus. The remote education program is planned to continue until May 31, 2020. Within this framework, many private schools are preparing to refund two months’ worth of meal and transport fees. Schools state they will refund only meal and transport fees, not tuition; instead, they plan to offer one month of make-up instruction.
The first coronavirus case in Turkey was recorded on March 11. For that reason, the planned midterm break in April was moved to March 16, and remote education started on March 23, 2020. The remote education effort is announced to continue through May 31, 2020. This situation has led parents to ask what will happen to the transport and meal fees they paid for the period when students could not attend school.
Parents of children in private schools have begun requesting refunds for meal and transport fees paid for April and May. Nurullah Dal, President of the Private Schools Association, responded to questions on the subject. He said private schools will refund meal and transport fees or, by agreement with parents, apply the amounts as credit toward next year’s fees. The two months of paid meal and transport fees can be deducted from the upcoming school year’s payments. Fees will also be refunded for students who have graduated.
Refund Process Has Started!
The refund process has started. According to available reports, ten private schools have already begun refunding meal and transport fees for April and May, during which students did not receive on-site services. It is thought that some other schools are waiting until the end of the term before processing refunds. Schools have made clear that tuition fees will not be refunded; instead, missed instruction will be made up during the summer term.
Regarding the make-up instruction period, schools emphasize they have continued distance learning and invested in online education, and that instruction has continued in a serious and structured way. For this reason, they say there will be no tuition refunds. All schools are expected to offer one month of make-up lessons during the summer. Surveys or reports suggest about 90% of parents are satisfied with distance education, although some express dissatisfaction.
Partial Reopening Possible in June
Partial reopening in June may be possible. Nurullah Dal said they expect schools might partially reopen in June and that they are awaiting any decisions from the Ministry of National Education about make-up instruction. The head of the Consumers Association also noted that schools suspended on-site classes for force majeure reasons and called for goodwill from both schools and parents. He added that online education cannot fully replicate face-to-face instruction, and therefore private schools should consider fee reductions for services not provided in person.
The Consumers Association president stated that prepaid meal and transport fees should be refunded. If school and parents agree on offsetting paid amounts against future charges, that offset should happen by mutual consent rather than unilaterally by the school. He advised parents to submit written requests to school administrations when seeking refunds or discounts; having written documentation will help if disputes arise later.