Despite state order, private schools asking for fees: Parents

Even as the state education department has asked private schools to not demand fees amidst the lockdown, parents said that many schools are still sending them emails

Even as the state education department has asked private schools to not demand fees amidst the lockdown, parents said that many schools are still sending them emails and messages asking them to pay the fees.

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On Thursday, a school in Navi Mumbai asked parents to pay through an online link. “We were asked to pay the fees and send an email after paying. When some parents tried to reason with the school authorities showing the education department’s guidelines, they said that parents can pay now or later,” said a parent of a student from the school. The school did not respond to calls and messages.

On March 30, the education department issued a circular, asking schools to ensure that parents are not forced to pay fees. The department stated that the rule applies to all private schools in the state irrespective of the board they are affiliated to.

Another parent of a student at a Malad school said that the authorities had sent an alert on the school application with the payment link. “Why are they even giving us an option to pay when schools are shut anyway?” said the parent. The Malad school also did not respond to calls and messages.