ISA urges Chandigarh Administration to review criteria for fee payment

Deepankar Sharda

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15

The Independent Schools Association (ISA) is at inquisitive phase after one of their internal reports hinted that only 12 to 15 per cent parents are ready to send their children to schools. However, the UT Administration has issued no directives as to whether parents should start paying full fee or not.

Regular classes from November 2?

The District Education Officer (DEO) on Thursday issued guidelines for reopening of schools. He instructed that the existing practice of calling students of Class IX to XII on a voluntary basis with 50 per cent teaching staff on alternate days would continue till October 31. It was also directed that schools may reopen for regular teaching of Class IX to XII in a phased manner for which detailed instructions would be issued later. Meanwhile, schools have been asked to make arrangements for starting regular classes from November 2. With other guidelines to encourage online teaching of students after taking a written consent, the rule of no enforcement of attendance will continue to be adopted by schools.

Around 80,000 to 90,000 students are enrolled in local private schools. The Administration had asked parents to pay only tuition fee since the imposition of lockdown.

Now, when the MHA has allowed phased opening of almost everything, local schools want that the Administration should come up with a concentre plan to give clarity on this issue.

“Most parents don’t want to send their children to school. We cannot host both online and offline classes. Our teachers won’t be teaching a same class in different modes at the same time,” said HS Mamik, president, ISA.

“The MHA has opened everything in Unlock-5. The UT Administration should also direct parents to pay full fee. Those who are unable to pay fee can continue to do so for the time being after giving an affidavit to the school authorities. A confusion has been created by the UT Administration over fee payment and the authorities should make things clear,” he added.

According to sources, ISA office-bearers will meet later this week to decide the future course of action and decide on taking the issue of full fee payment with the UT Administration.

Sources maintained that schools, their staff, functionaries and other attached to institutions had to bear huge losses due to non-payment of fee in this pandemic.

“We have to pay salaries. For how long the Administration expects us to continue without taking full fee? Our staffers are underpaid, but still performing full duties. Moreover, when everything is allowed to open why parents, who can pay full fee, don’t do so. Help has been given in genuine cases and they will continue to get support from us. However, those who can pay full fee easily should be covered under some directives. The Administration should review the situation,” said office-bearers of one of the school.