Page 44 - Education World July 2020

Cover Story

School fees & online classes confusion: national round-up

ith the Covid-19 pandemic and national lock-
down forcing mass closure of education insti-
Wtutions, several state governments have issued Fees
circulars directing private school managements to defer/ Schools can collect fees on monthly
waive tuition and other fees during the lockdown period. basis from parents who can afford to pay
Moreover, some state governments such as Karnataka, Ma-
harashtra and Madhya Pradesh have issued notifications Online education
Esure learning continuity through the
prohibiting private schools from conducting online classes online medium
for pre-primary and primary children.
These ill-advised knee-jerk notifications have severely
disrupted the cash flow of private independent (unaided) “The state’s private schools are facing a grave financial cri-
K-12 schools, especially budget private schools (BPS) coun- sis because of loss of fees revenue during the past three
trywide whose number is estimated at 400,000, and endan- months. We have petitioned the state government to pro-
gered the employment of over 5 million teachers of private vide financial assistance to private school managements.
schools. With a substantial number of parents withholding Had the Central government allocated even 0.1 percent of
March-June tuition fees, private schools countrywide are the Rs.20 lakh crore Covid-19 stimulus package to educa-
experiencing an unprecedented financial crunch and are tion, it would have helped a great deal. We have placed our
unable to pay teachers’ salaries demand for financial support before the prime minister as
Summiy a Y as meen & A khila Damo daran present well.” — Sy ed Shamael A hmed, national president, Pri-
a national round-up of state government directives relating vate Schools and Children Welfare Association
to tuition fees and online teaching-learning in major states
of the Indian Union.

Fees
Schools not permitted to collect
Fees fees for the lockdown period
Private schools to collect fees only after
reopening Online education
No comment
Online education
No comment
“If private schools are not allowed to collect fees, we will
“We have petitioned the state education minister to direct have to close down. In Chhattisgarh, parents believe online
parents who are financially capable, to pay school fees. classes are an excuse for extorting fees from them. Parents
Many private schools have 25-30 percent fees pending from and government should understand that education, like
the last academic year. How can the government expect us any other service, cannot be provided free-of-charge. Gov-
to pay teachers and other staff when we are not allowed to ernment should allow us to collect fees; otherwise many
collect fees? Also we are unable to conduct online classes teachers will lose their jobs.” — J itendra Sing h T hakur,
because parents fear this will become an excuse for us to founder-member, Chhattisgarh Private School Manage-
charge fees.” — A . Kris hna R eddy , chief mentor, Andhra ments Association
Pradesh Unaided Schools Managements

Fees
Only monthly tuition fees to be collected; no fee
Fees hike
Waive 50 percent fees for April, no
admission fee to be collected Online education
Permit access to online class to all students
Online education
Unconditional go-ahead for online High court order
classes On June 27, Delhi HC rejected PIL for staying
collection of tuition fee during the lockdown

44 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2020