COVID-19 impact: Know how parents & teachers are reacting to govt's order on school fees

Various state governments and the Central government have directed private schools to waive off school fees and pay full salaries to their faculty and staff members.

Various state governments and the Central government have directed private schools to waive off school fees and pay full salaries to their faculty and staff members. Amid closed schools, postponed exams and delayed results, the education system around the globe is ruptured due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The rapid spread of the deadly virus led to a complete shutdown in the nation creating severe health and economic crisis. Lockdown badly affected the trade, commerce and industry. Considering the cash crunch and loss of job opportunities the lockdown has created, the government’s step to waive off school fees came a big relief for parents, especially the ones who are daily wage earners. Meanwhile, the government also urged educational institutions to support their staff members during this time of crisis and pay full salaries to them.

While State governments such as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, and more directed private schools not to pressurize parents or students for fees payment. Delhi Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia released a notice for all the government and private schools not to increase fees during the lockdown due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The minister condemned the act of schools who are pressurizing students and parents to make fee payments and charging transportation fees even when the academic institutions are closed due to the extended lockdown in the country in order to contain the novel coronavirus spread. The minister also made this clear that no private schools will be allowed to cut the salaries of their staff member or faculty.

Soon the central government also urged the schools to stop bothering students for fees paid during the lockdown periods. The HRD Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal in one of his tweets mentioned, ‘I request all schools to join hands in the fight against coronavirus, empathize with the parents amid this global disaster and reconsider their decision.’  Asking schools to pay full salaries to their staff, the HRD Minister stated, ‘Our Hon'ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has also urged to give priority to human values ​​in the time of this epidemic. And hence, I hope all schools would be providing timely salary to their teachers & staff.’

While talking to Shiksha.com, many parents thanked the government for taking such a noble step to help the citizens of the country. Bharati J. Bhavsar from Mumbai, a mother of a 4-year-old expressed, “Waiving off fees for lower-income families will be a good idea but the ones who can afford should not be given concession. Income slab should be kept as criteria to waive off fees in schools at least in the current situation.”

Garima Khanijow, a mother of two, whose kids study in Oxford Senior Secondary School Vikaspuri Delhi, shared that “the school is putting no pressure regarding fees payment. No extra fee is being charged for online classes as well.”

Despite government orders, there are schools that are not following the instructions and are continuously contacting parents for fee payments. A parent who wishes to stay anonymous expressed that the parents have received an email from Summer Fields School, Kailash Colony regarding the payment of quarterly fees. Surprisingly, the bifurcation of the fee also includes transportation fees.

Meanwhile, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are flooding with angry tweets and posts of parents who are being continuously pressurized by schools for fees. Some schools are even threatening the parents to cancel their ward’s admission. 

Gourav Goyal, whose child studies in class 5 at Maharana Pratap School, Sector 30, Haryana, posted a tweet after receiving a circular regarding fee payment. 

 

Considering the appeal of the parents, various state governments asked parents to file a complaint regarding schools that are pressurizing them for fees payment.

Here's what schools and teachers have to say: 

Adhering to the orders of the central and state government, Divine Public School, Faridabad came out as great support for parents who are worried about their ward’s school admission. Due to the lockdown period, the school not only waived off admission fees and admission tests but is also giving 25 per cent concession in the annual fees. Also, the school is not charging any monthly fee from April 20 to June 20.

However, there are schools and school associations that are not satisfied with the government’s order. The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), a platform that represents budget private schools (BPS) in a unified form, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to seek relief for private schools. In the letter, NISA urged the government and the concerned ministries, not to issue any orders related to a school fee waiver for the next three months. The letter also mentioned that there are more than 5 lakh private schools in the country that provide quality education to crores of poor students. Also, the livelihood of more than two crore teaching and non-teaching staff is dependent upon these schools.

The other side of the story came out when Shiksha.com contacted a few teachers across the country to know their reaction to the government’s order. Multiple interactions with various teachers revealed that some schools are cutting a substantial amount from teachers’ salaries, while others are not paying them at all. A teacher who teaches in a reputed school in Delhi stated, “I think it will affect salaries of teachers negatively. Although it is said that it is a half-day job, in reality, teachers are today putting in more efforts to make them technologically sound and innovate new ways to teach and engage students for a class online.”

A teacher (wishes to stay anonymous) from Abhinav Public School, Delhi, expressed that they are not being paid at all during the lockdown period. The school has assured them that they will be paid altogether once the lockdown is over. She further stated that teachers are regularly connected to the students through WhatsApp and phone calls. The concept of online teaching is tiring and exhausting as kids are taking the time to grasp the culture of studying without being in the classroom. Teachers are working way more than they used to work before. This is why schools must pay them what they deserve.

Ms Saiqa from Al Noor Model School, Jammu & Kashmir, stated, “If the government has ordered private schools to pay salary then they should follow the orders. However, if the students won’t pay fees, how will the school pay salaries to their staff?”

Despite all the sufferings, the teachers don’t want to reveal their identity on a public platform fearing loss of their job that too during the time of such severe economic crisis. All we can say that the government should come forward and look into the matter to give some relief to both parents as well as the teaching fraternity. With an altered academic calendar, the introduction of the various new method of teaching, virtual classes and more, teachers are working rigorously to get used to this all-new education system. We all need to stand hand in hand in this fight against the novel coronavirus and try to save as many as possible from both-the health crisis as well as the economic crunch.

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