Schools can charge only tuition fees, have to pay full salary to teachers: Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia directed all the private schools of the state not to increase fees during the lockdown.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia directed all the government and private schools not to increase fees during the lockdown. The minister condemned the act of schools who are pressurizing students 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.

While directing that no private school in Delhi will be allowed to increase fees during lockdown Mr Sisodia stated, ‘It has come to my notice that many schools are taking fees arbitrarily and charging transportation fees even when schools are closed. Private schools should not stoop to this level. Be it private or government schools, they cannot hike fees.’

The minister also made this clear that no private schools will be allowed to cut the salaries of their staff member or faculty. While addressing the media, the Deputy CM stated, ‘Private schools can charge only the monthly tuition fee, they are also mandated to pay salaries to both contractual and full-time staff during the lockdown.

Schools are shut and exams are postponed. While CBSE 10^th and CBSE 12^thpending exams are yet to be conducted, the schools have promoted the rest of the classes to the next standard considering the prevailing emergency situations due to the outbreak of the COVID-19. In order to prevent loss of studies, the government directed academic institutions to conduct classes online and explore different ways to provide study material to the students. Addressing the same, the minister made this clear that schools cannot charge extra fees for online classes or restrict students from attending online classes.

The positive cases of the novel coronavirus cases in India reached 13, 626, claiming 450 lives so far. Delhi itself has 1,640 COVID-19 positive cases. To contain the spread of the contagious virus, PM Narendra Modi announced the extension of the 21-day nationwide lockdown until May 3.

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