Page 18 - EW May 2020 for Flipbuilder

Education News

state government and is a good way chairman of Podar Edu-
of keeping students pepped up. How cation: “In light of many
effective these online prep classes are state government orders
will soon become apparent. But it is not to collect school fees
certainly better than doing nothing.” during the lockdown, it
Calcutta University and its affiliated has become an onerous
colleges are also conducting online task to meet institu-
classes since March 31. tional expenses. Most
With the 2021 legislative election of a school’s expenses
less than a year away and a resurgent are fixed. Salaries for
BJP in hot pursuit, chief minister Ba- example, have to be paid
nerjee and the TMC who are aspiring whether or not the school
for a third consecutive mandate, are building is open. More-
pulling out all the stops to provide over, many schools have
people-friendly health and education Raghav Podar: fixed expenses burden conducted online classes
policies. Better late than never. with overwhelming suc-
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) Schools in Maharashtra have cess and appreciation of students
been shut down since March 14 — and parents. It is not fair that the
MAHARASHTRA much before the nationwide lock- education fraternity that is working
Hard times down from March 25 decreed by hard in this difficult time, is deprived
prime minister Narendra Modi. On
of tuition fees which goes directly
confrontation March 30, a government resolution into meeting teachers’ salaries.”
recent order by the Delhi high
(GR) asked schools to refrain from
demanding first quarter fees and di- A court has correctly pointed out
RIVATE UNAIDED AKA inde- rected them to “inform parents about that “money does not grow on trees,
pendent, schools across a payment schedule once school and unaided schools, who receive
PMaharashtra are up in arms reopens”. Showing further lenience no funds from the government, are
against a directive of the state’s towards parents who make up the entirely dependent on fees, to defray
Shiv Sena-led tri-party Maha Vikas large middle-class electorate, the their daily expenses. We, therefore,
Aghadi (MVA) government to waive minister instructed parents to com- find that in allowing unaided schools
school fees for the first quarter of plain to district education officers to charge tuition fees, whereby ex-
the academic year 2020-21, because against schools demanding fees. penses incurred on salary, establish-
of the loss of income of the parents Private school promoters and par- ments, and curricular activities may
community following the nationwide ticularly managements of upmarket be defrayed by them.”
lockdown of industry and business in schools affiliated with the Council for Unsurprisingly, the majority with-
the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. the Indian School Certificate Exami- in the parents’ community support
In Maharashtra, school fees nations (CISCE) and Central Board the government’s fee waiver decree.
are paid quarterly and collected of Secondary Education (CBSE) are “It seems highly unlikely that private
in advance. But a large number of especially indignant because they schools which have already collected
parents haven’t paid school fees for have pulled out all stops to adhere quarterly and half yearly fees in ad-
the quarter April-June. Manage- to the academic calendar by switch- vance cannot forego two months fees
ments of the state’s 22,477 private ing to online classes at considerable in this emergency situation. Schools
unaided schools, overwhelmingly expense to train teachers to use that are genuinely experiencing cash
preferred by the middle class, warn digital media to prepare lesson plans, flow problems should share their bal-
that they won’t be able to pay the conduct online classes, design home- ance sheets with the authorities who
emoluments of 80,000 teachers and work assessments and even interact can then reconsider the decision on
other support staff. The Maharashtra with parents virtually after school fees for that particular school,” says
English School Trustees Associa- hours. It is also pertinent to note A n u b h a S a h a i, president of the
tion (MESTA, estb.2014), which has that unlike government schools that Mumbai-based Indiawide Parents
a membership of 18,000 budget begin their academic year in June, Association.
(affordable) private schools in 37 CBSE and CISCE schools follow aca- The love-hate relationship
districts statewide, has written to the demic calendars ending March. Their between private schools and their
education minister V a rs h a G a ik - fees for the first quarter and/or first parent communities is the outcome
w a d calling for urgent withdrawal of semester became due on April 1. of decades of socialist rhetoric pro-
the directive. Comments R a g h a v P oda r, claimed by populist politicians and

18 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2020