Parents meet minister Bachhu Kadu after schools in Pune stop online teaching

During the meeting, held at Mantralaya, Kadu assured the members of the parent associations that in the next 15 days the said schools will undergo an audit and a report will be submitted to him

With at least 1,000 English-medium schools having stopped online classes in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, parents from the city met minister of state for education, Bacchu Kadu, on Wednesday, to seek a redressal of their grievances.

Private schools from Pune and PCMC stopped all online education classes till December 17 to protest non-payment of fees by over 50 per cent of parents. (HT PHOTO)

During the meeting, held at Mantralaya, Kadu assured the members of the parent associations that in the next 15 days the said schools will undergo an audit and a report will be submitted to him.

Kadu also assured the parents of an immediate audit of five schools from Pune, which, according to parents, have been denying education to students on the pretext of fees.

“These five schools will be audited and probed. Those schools which have stopped online education will face punitive action. Even after that, if they do not continue online education for all students, criminal proceedings will be started against them,” said Kadu.

Speaking on the behalf of the parent associations, Jayshree Deshpande, said, “Our demand for the audit reports of schools has been accepted. The reports have to be submitted in 15 days. Meanwhile, we want the online education of our children to continue.”

Private schools from Pune and PCMC stopped all online education classes till December 17 to protest non-payment of fees by over 50 per cent of parents.

The Federation of English Medium schools has alleged that around 58 per cent parents have not paid full fees.

Rajendra Singh, State President of Federation of Schools Association in Maharashtra said, “Some schools have exhausted all funds and it is difficult for them to continue functioning. We hope the parents who are not able to pay the fees get in touch with the schools with relevant documents. In the last three days, we have been approached by many parents who are not able to pay the fees. And we have helped them.”