Stay fee hikes, allow parents to make partial payments: Edu department tells schools

After days of confusion over the payment of fees for private schools across the state, the education department on Friday released a government resolution (GR) listing

After days of confusion over the payment of fees for private schools across the state, the education department on Friday released a government resolution (GR) listing out guidelines for the same.

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In the GR, the department has asked schools to allow parents to make partial payments of fees for academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21 considering the current situation. Schools have also been asked to stay all fee hikes and have in fact been advised to reduce fees in cases where the expenditure has gone down due to the lockdown. The GR is applicable for all schools under the state irrespective of the board they are affiliated with.

“Parent-teacher associations of the schools can be told about the status of spending and fees can be cut down with their consent. Similarly, parents should be allowed to pay fees online and schools should not insist on physical payments,” read the GR.

“It is a good move considering that most schools are saving a lot on electricity and other maintenance-related work due to school closure. The question, however, is whether these schools would be honest enough to accept it and reduce fees,” said a parent from a Dadar-based school.