PTA executive panel can propose reduction of school fees: Minister

The executive committee of parent-teacher associations (PTAs) across schools in the state can propose a reduction in fees in the current situation if they feel so,

The executive committee of parent-teacher associations (PTAs) across schools in the state can propose a reduction in fees in the current situation if they feel so, said state education minister Varsha Gaikwad, while talking to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

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“While the government has already released strict guidelines against hiking fees, and asked schools to allow parents to make partial payments, the decision with respect to fee reduction should be taken by individual PTAs of the schools. As per the rules, the PTA executive committee has to approve fees for every year, and if parents wish, they can get their fees reduced,” said Gaikwad.

According to the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, proposals concerning fees have to be placed before the PTA executive committee for approval. The minister also said that action will be taken against schools that are still not complying with the department’s directives on not hiking fees. “We have asked our officers to take strict action against such schools,” she added. The minister said that while results of HSC (Class 12) are expected to be out by mid July, those of SSC (Class 10) will be out by July end.

After several teachers from schools across the city said they were being called to work even as the standard operating procedures (SOPs) released by the department on Monday do not specifically mandate them to travel, Gaikwad said that a separate set of SOPs will be released for schools in red zones.

“We are also getting several calls from teachers, especially in Mumbai, about schools asking them to report to work. We understand their concerns, and hence, to bring in more clarity, a set of guidelines specifically for schools in red zones will be issued soon,” the minister said.

Officials from the education department said the guidelines are likely to be released by Wednesday. A senior official reiterated that the SOPs are binding on schools of all mediums, managements, and boards across the state.

The education department has also started conducting a statewide third-party audit to understand whether online learning is reaching students and if not, the students are being given other options like phone call-based instruction from teachers, home-delivered textbooks, etc.

Speaking about the concerns of private preschool educators after the government decided to ban online learning up to Class 2, Gaikwad said, “At this point not pressuring our children is more important than anything else. We hope that schools understand our compulsions in the current situation and behave in a rational and humanitarian manner.”