Page 44 - EW April 2021

Cover Story

leftist and communist judges who
passed illogical judgements prohibit-
ing “commercialisation of education”
— but not of food, health, housing
or the judicial system itself — mid-
dle class parents have developed a
schizophrenic attitude towards pri-
vate schools. First they use every
trick in the book to get their children
admission in private schools — they
won’t touch government schools with
a bargepole — of their choice. But af-
ter their child/children are admitted,
they quickly develop an antagonistic
attitude towards private school man-
agements accusing them of short-
changing their children and always
protest annual fee increases which are
inevitable in these inflationary times.
Instead of offering constructive criti- Parents protesting private school fees in Bengaluru. Inset: Ashok Agarwal
cism and partnering with teachers and
the management to improve the edu- be charged. Therefore, it follows that vour government regulation of private
cation of their children, most middle when normal schooling is not pro- school fees. With a substantial number
class parents become carping critics vided, normal fees are not payable. of them having suffered income loss,
hell-bent on finding fault. For this Nevertheless, AIPA has maintained even if not lay-offs, during the pan-
perpetually disgruntled tribe the pan- that parents must pay the full tuition demic lockdown, they are in no mood
demic has offered an opportunity to fee — but not other fees — because to pay the contracted full school fees of
renege on their contractual obligation school managements are obliged to children even if schools are providing
to pay children’s fees, even though pay teachers and employees to retain online classes. Digital classes at best
they are aware that we have had to them until normal classes resume. are conducted for three-four hours
invest heavily in Internet connectiv- This is especially true of schools pro- and children are prohibited from ac-
ity, digital hardware, teacher training viding online education to their stu- cessing co-curricular and sports edu-
while continuing to pay staff salaries,” dents,” says Agarwal. cation by lockdown rules which have
says an embittered promoter-princi- The argument that private schools shut down all campuses of education
pal of a mid-priced co-ed day school have invested in digital infrastructure institutions. Therefore schools that
in Bangalore/Bengaluru. and teacher training so that education insist on payment of full or substan-
H OWEVER, THE ARGU al. “On several occasions the Supreme of the prevailing situation to rake in
is not hampered, is rejected by Agarw-
tially full fees are taking advantage
abnormal profit, runs the argument
MENT that despite being
Court has held that education provi-
shut down by government
This line of reasoning fails to take
a charitable activity. Therefore capi-
orders to prevent trans- sion is by definition and necessarily popular with parents.
mission of the highly contagious Coro- tal expenditure incurred by private into consideration that all govern-
navirus, private schools have invested schools cannot be recovered from ments have directed schools to con-
heavily in digital infrastructure and parents. This status of private schools tinue paying teachers and staff sala-
teacher training for continuous edu- was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court ries. Moreover, most private schools
cation while also paying employees’ in the Modern School Case (2004) — including BPS — have switched to
salaries and institution maintenance which held that private schools can online education to maintain learning
expenses, cuts no ice with Delhi-based raise their fees by 10-15 percent an- continuity of their students. This swi-
Ashok Agarwal, a legal practitioner nually to meet increased revenue ex- tchover to digital education has cost
and president of the All India Parents penditure,” says Agarwal school managements — who dismiss
Association (AIPA, estb.2005) which Agarwal’s viewpoint is representa- Agarwal’s separation of capital and
he claims has “millions of parents in tive of middle class parents across the revenue expenditure as “specious nit-
28 states” as members. country, who while refusing to enrol picking” — heavily, especially since
“It’s well-established law that if their children in free-of-charge gov- government-controlled banks are
service is not provided, a fee cannot ernment schools, simultaneously fa- reluctant to advance them credit for

46 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2021