Charging school fees during the lockdown could pinch parents
Around 12,000 teachers and 7,000 Class 4 employees working in private schools in Chandigarh are likely to be impacted by these developments.
The Chandigarh education department has ordered schools to defer fee payment until the lifting of lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak, in spite of which some private unaided schools have been asking parents to pay up, claiming this will help them cover teachers’ salaries.
The director of school education, Chandigarh, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, has said that the UT education department stands by its previous order on fee collection and that parents cannot be forced by the schools to pay up. Any parent willingly wanting to submit the dues, however, can do so, he has said.
The UT education department has deferred the payment of tuition fees for the 2020-21 session till government and private schools reopen after the lockdown. Parents will also be given a month to make the payment once the fee collection dates are announced.
Citing lack of funds in absence of fee collection, approximately 50 of 77 private schools in Chandigarh have said that they will not be paying salaries to teachers and Class 4 employees for April. A representative of independent schools says the education department’s order is “highly unfair”, and that the schools will have no options but to approach the courts for a resolution.
Around 12,000 teachers and 7,000 Class 4 employees working in private schools in Chandigarh are likely to be impacted by these developments.
Some parents have argued that had private unaided schools put up their balance sheets online (only a few have done so), as directed by the education department, those which were short of funds could have been allowed to charge a nominal fee to cover the teachers’ salaries.
Parents also say given the financial constraints they face during the lockdown, they should not be made to pay for the fat salaries of top management and trustees of the school.
FEES FRACAS
Should private schools charge fees during the Covid-19 lockdown period?
Should private schools charge fees during the lockdown period and should the salaries of teachers be held back? What’s the way out for them? Send your responses to chandigarh@hindustantimes.com by May 15.