Page 18 - EW March 2021

Education News

and Non-Teaching Staff Coordina-
tion Committee (KPMTCC) attracted
an estimated 50,000 teachers and
employees in downtown Bengaluru
causing massive traffic jams and
snarls.
With schools shuttered in Karna-
taka for close to a year to check the
spread of the novel Coronavirus, even
though most private school manage-
ments quickly and commendably
switched to new digital technolo-
gies empowered online classes to
continue their students’ education,
the state’s BJP government has been
issuing several fee reduction circulars
on grounds that schools have not
been providing co-curricular and
sports education. Moreover, govern- Massive KPMTCC protest: confusing & contradictory directives
ment ministers and spokespersons
have encouraged parents to default F oundation Case (2002). and no other fees, but several CBSE
and/or defer fees payment while Private school managements and ICSE schools have refused to
simultaneously directing schools make no secret that they are back- comply with this directive. As of now,
to provide online learning and pay ing the KPMTCC agitation. “Most we intend to pay the fees as per the
teachers and staff salaries. private schools have been compelled government order but if it is revoked,
ith the dismally low fees col- to reduce or delay teachers’ salaries we will protest,” warns M o h ame d
Wlection depleting their cash because our cash flows have been S h ak e e l , president, Voice of Parents
flows, private school managements completely disrupted following Karnataka Association.
have been compelled to slash teach- confusing government directives not “India’s middle class has been
ers’ salaries and in some cases their to collect fees even if we are con- thoroughly spoilt by unwarranted,
service. The spate of confusing and ducting online classes and paying non-merit subsidies. In the school
contradictory directives of the state teachers and staff salaries. And now fees control issue, middle class
government on school fees have hit the notification to collect 70 percent parents who insist on sending their
affordable budget private schools of tuition fees – and no other fee – children to private schools, have
(BPS) that constitute 90 percent has made it impossible for a large been continuously demanding subsi-
of the private schools in the state, number of private schools to pay full disation by private school promoters.
especially hard. teachers’ salaries. I’m not surprised And ignorant politicians are support-
The contention of private school that teachers are protesting unwar- ing parents’ breach of contracts they
managements, which are quite ranted government interference with sign when they send their children to
clearly backing the teachers and staff private schools,” says M an s o o r private schools. In law, the demands
agitation, is that they have invested A l i Kh an , general secretary of the of parents for the reduction or waiver
heavily in digital infrastructure and Management of Independent CBSE of contracted fees and the govern-
training teachers to conduct online Schools Association of Karnataka. ment’s notification reducing private
classes while continuing to incur On the other hand, parents with school fees are both unmaintain-
campus, buses and maintenance staff children in private schools maintain able,” says a senior counsel of the
and overheads expenses. Therefore, that their managements tend to be Karnataka high court, speaking on
a January 29 government directive to unmindful and unsympathetic to condition of anonymity.
the state’s private schools to forego the reality that a large number of In this connection, it’s worth not-
30 percent of the tuition fees and them have suffered salary cuts and ing that on February 8, the Supreme
waive all other fees for the academic loss of income during the lockdown Court struck down a fees reduction
year 2020-21, is unreasonable and of all industry and business for order of the Rajasthan high court.
violative of their fundamental right almost six months because of the Likewise, following the filing of writ
to pursue the vocation of education Covid-19 pandemic. “The govern- petitions by the Associated Manage-
provision as held by the Supreme ment has directed schools to collect ments of Primary and Secondary
Court in the landmark T.M.A . Pai only 70 percent of the tuition fees Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) and

18 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2021