How to reduce fee defaulters in a private school

Know your number first

A list of names is not a defaulter report. You need, for each student, the amount outstanding and how many months it covers, sorted by class. One month late and four months late call for different conversations, and a plain list treats them the same.

Look at the total outstanding at the start of each month and write it down. If the figure goes up three months running, collection is not the problem. The routine is.

Make the due date real

Pick one due date for the whole school and keep it every month. Print the late fine on the voucher and charge it every time, including to families the principal knows well. A fine that is waived for some parents stops working for all of them within a term.

Remind before the due date, not after

A reminder three days before the due date is a courtesy. The same message a week after reads as an accusation. Three short messages a month cover most families:

• Three days before: the amount, the month and the last date.
• On the due date, only to families who have not paid.
• A week later, with the amount now including the fine, and a phone number to call.

Separate "cannot pay" from "has not paid"

After two months, call. A family that has lost an income needs a plan: part of the balance now, the rest spread over the next few months, written down with dates. Record every part payment against the voucher so the balance stays right. A family that can pay and has not usually pays after one polite call from the office, because the call tells them someone is watching.

Families with more than one child

Three children in three classes means three class teachers who each see a small amount owed. Together it can be a large one. Look at defaulters by family as well as by class, and have one person speak to the family about the total.

Put the policy in writing at the start of the year

Many schools ask for dues to be cleared before result cards are handed over or before promotion. Whatever your policy is, send it to parents in writing in the first month of the session. Announced in the first week, it is a rule. Announced the week before results, it feels like a threat, and parents treat it as one.