Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Friday urged private schools to reconsider their decisions on annual fee hike and collecting fee quarterly during the COVID-19 lockdown, and asked states to work in best interest of both schools and parents.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also wrote to states and union territories to examine the issues of school fee payment and salaries to teachers "sensitively and holistically" keeping in mind the interest of all stakeholders.
The nationwide lockdown, which was from March 25 to April 14, has now been extended to May 3 by the central government to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
While the Delhi government announced that schools will not be allowed to hike fees during the lockdown period and only tuition fee will have to be paid, Maharashtra has said parents can lodge complaints with district education officers if schools demanded fees.
The Gujarat government had on Monday announced that private schools will not hike fees for an year. The West Bengal government has appealed to schools to refrain from hiking fees.
"It has been brought to my notice by many parents from all across the country that even in this time of crisis many schools are increasing their annual fee. A lot of schools are also asking the parents to deposit the school fee for 3 months together," the Union human resource development minister said in a series of tweets.
Pokhriyal request all schools to join hands in the fight against the coronavirus, empathize with parents amid this "global disaster" and reconsider their decision.
"I also hope that the education departments of all states will work together towards the best interests of parents and schools. I am happy that some states have already taken positive steps on this, I appreciate their initiative and hope that all other states will reconsider my request," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged the people to give priority to human values in the time of this pandemic, Pokhriyal said.
He also hoped that all schools will provide timely salary to their teachers and staff.
CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi in a letter to chief secretaries of states and union territories said, "Keeping in view the present situation of the countrywide lockdown, and difficulties being face by all stakeholders in the school education system due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is requested that the state governments may examine the issue of lumpsum payment of school fees and teacher's salaries sensitively and holistically considering the interest of all stakeholders concerned,"
Thakur said that action taken at "your end may kindly be informed to the board to enable us to respond to the queries of our stakeholders."
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