Demanding fees during lockdown: Show-cause notices to two more private schools in Ludhiana

The state education department on Wednesday issued show-case notices to two more private schools in the district for defying its directions and demanding fees during

The state education department on Wednesday issued show-case notices to two more private schools in the district for defying its directions and demanding fees during the lockdown.

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Punjab education minister Vijay Inder Singla informed that Atam Devki Niketan Senior Secondary School, Kidwai Nagar, and Bharatam World School, Khanna, have been issued notices for the violation.

The schools should also not charge transportation fees and books charges from students for the next academic session till the lockdown period is over, the minister said.

On March 23, the state education department had directed all private schools to reschedule the date of depositing fee as many parents would be unable to do the needful amid lockdown. The schools were asked to provide window period of 30 days for submission of fees after the situation gets normalized. The schools were also asked not charge any late fee fine as well for the same.

They were asked to abide by the orders or face disciplinary action, the cabinet minister said.

“The schools have been given seven-day period to file their reply. If they fail to reply, we are going to cancel their affiliation or no objection certificate (NOC) to run the school,” Singla said in the statement.

Mridhu Ablash, principal of Atam Devki Niketan Senior Secondary School, said, “We have not issued any circular regarding the payment of a fee to the parents. However, only a circular related to online classes was sent to the parents.”

To ensure strict action against the violating schools, the education minister has also floated his email id, vijayindersingla@gmail.com, on which the parents can send their complaints.

So far, five schools in Ludhiana— Atam Devki Niketan Senior Secondary School in Kidwai Nagar, Bharatam World School in Khanna, Delhi Public School in Jhammat village, MGM Public School in Dugri, and Green Land Convent School in Subhash Nagar,— have been issued notices for the violation.

After notice, MGM Public School defers date of fee payment

A day after a private school was issued a show-cause notice by the state education department for asking parents to submit the fee, the school authorities of MGM Public School, Dugri, have deferred the date of fee payment to April 30. Earlier, the school had asked the parents to submit the fee by April 10.

School principal Sunita Vij said, “Keeping in mind the current Covid-19 crisis, its effect on the economy and the cumbersome pressure on parents, this decision has been taken.”

Some of the parents had approached the staff members, who have been working from home, and told that they were willing to pay the monthly fee on due date, instead of a lump sum later, Vij said, adding that they have informed the parents that they can pay the fees anytime without any late fee fine.

Keeping the current situation in mind, the school authorities are completely ready to cooperate with the parents. In case the lockdown continues, the payment of fee will be further deferred till normalcy revives, as per the order of the district magistrate, the principal added.

The case

On March 23, the state education department had directed all private schools to reschedule the date of depositing fee as many parents would be unable to do the needful amid lockdown. The school authorities were further asked to abide by the orders or face disciplinary action.

Following a complaint by the parents, the state education department on Tuesday had issued a show-cause notice to two schools—MGM Public School, Dugri, and Green Land Convent School, Subhash Nagar— for the same violation.

The DPI office had asked the school authorities to submit a reply as to why the school’s no objection certificate (NOC) to run the school should not be cancelled as they have violated the orders of the education department.