GB Nagar administration issues guidelines for school fee

The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration, on late Thursday evening, said no schools in the district will be allowed to increase their fees for the academic

The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration, on late Thursday evening, said no schools in the district will be allowed to increase their fees for the academic calendar, 2020-21.

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Referring to various orders issued by the Uttar Pradesh government, the district magistrate, in the guidelines issued for the private schools of the district, also said that no school can charge transport fees as it has been waved off for the period for which the schools are closed. “No schools shall increase their fees for academic year, 2020-21. If any parent has deposited the increased fees, then it would be adjusted in subsequent months. As per the government order, dated April 7, 2020, all the schools have been directed not to demand quarterly fees. Instead of quarterly fees, schools will take fees on monthly basis,” the guidelines stated.

GB Nagar district inspector of schools (DIOS), Neeraj Kumar Pandey said that all the schools have been directed not to force any student to deposit their fees and further said that no students will be disenrolled because of their inability to pay the fees.“If the schools violate these orders, complaints can be made to the district fee regulation committee (DFRC). The case will be heard under the provisions of UP Self-Financed Independent Schools (fee regulations) Act, 2018,” he said.

Pandey further said that after making enquiry as per Section 8(4)(b) of the Act and hearing the school authorities for the non compliance of the order, the DFRC may impose a financial punishment of up to ₹1lakh, along with an order to refund the excess fee levied on the student for the first-time violation of the law. In case of violating the order twice, the fine will be of ₹5lakh, while for the third violation, the DFRC may even recommend for the withdrawal of the recognition or the affiliation of the school to the board concerned,” he said.

Meanwhile, criticising the district administration’s guidelines for not waiving off the monthly fees, Noida estate flat owners’ main association (NEFOMA) said that the recent guidelines have not taken account of parents’ woes. NEFOMA general secretary Rashmi Pandey said despite repeated demands of waiving off the monthly fees being made by the parents, the district administration couldn’t give them any respite.

“Many of the parents have lost their jobs or their businesses have been stalled. How can they pay the fees of their children? They have been demanding that fees imposed for the lockdown period should be either waived off or at least reduced to 25% like other states. However, the government has failed to give them any relief,” she said.

Pandey further said that despite facing problems with network and systems, the parents are being compelled to pay around ₹10,000 as tuition fees for online classes. “We’ll remain requesting the chief minister to take cognisance of the distress faced by the parents of GB Nagar district and give them proper relief at this time of crisis,” she said.