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Maharashtra schools unable to start online classes because students have not paid fees
Three associations - the Private Unaided School Managements Association (PUSMA) , Independent English Schools Association(IESA) and Unaided Schools Forum declared that nearly 60% private schools in the state are in a poor financial condition and said they cannot start online teaching if the situation does not improve.
Several budget private schools across the state have said that they are not equipped to begin the new academic year online as they have not received fee payments from students.
Three associations - the Private Unaided School Managements Association (PUSMA) , Independent English Schools Association(IESA) and Unaided Schools Forum declared that nearly 60% private schools in the state are in a poor financial condition and said they cannot start online teaching if the situation does not improve. “In budget private schools, many parents have not paid fees after the state education department issued a circular allowing them to make partial payments. This way, we are not able to pay our teachers and take care of our basic expenses. How can we provide online education in such a situation?”, asked Bharat Malik from PUSMA. The association said that nearly 78% of the total private schools in the state are budget private schools which charge upto Rs. 15,000 per year.
On May 18, the three associations wrote to the state education department with their grievances but said that there is no response so far. “The decision to come up with government resolutions was taken without consulting all stakeholders. While it is true that parents are facing financial constraints with the ongoing situation due to Covid-19, schools too are struggling to make ends meet. These are also grim times for a lot of teachers who are having difficulties getting their salaries,” said Rajendra Singh, working president, IESA.
While asked about several big school chains imposing a fee hike even as the government has strictly asked schools to refrain from doing so, SC Kedia, secretary of the unaided schools forum said that the hikes have been approved before the Covid-19 situation. “Due process has been followed while imposing hikes. Schools are offering some concessions to parents who are facing difficulties but as a whole they cannot reduce fees because now expenses will increase with sanitisation costs, expenditure towards IT infrastructure for online learning increasing,” he added.
As per a Government Resolution released in the first week of May, schools cannot hike fees for the academic year 2020-21 and have to allow parents to pay fees in instalments.
