Fee concession order riles private schools in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 6

The directive of the Education Department on giving 15 per cent fee concession for the 2020-21 academic session has not gone down well with private schools in the city.

The UT Administration recently directed the private schools to give a concession of 15 per cent in the fee for the 2020-21 session on the grounds of non-utilisation of facilities by students. However, it has been made clear that the school managements can also give further concession to students or may evolve a different pattern for concession over and above 15 per cent of the fee.

While many students have already paid the school fee, private schools say giving 15 per cent concession to them will be a financial burden on them.

Independent Schools Association (ISA) president HS Mamik said, “We haven’t understood the reason behind releasing such an order. The order is with retrospective effect and the payment by parents has already been made for the 2020-21 session. We have given 25 to 50 per cent relief to students previously. There is no problem at the end of parents now. We have to meet the Administration authorities to find out what they want. There is something illegal about the order if it demands fee concession up to 15 per cent for all students. The school will be under a financial burden.”

ABS Sidhu, Saupins School director, said, “The Supreme Court judgment quoted in this order clearly states that the government cannot change the fee of private schools, even under the Disaster Management Act. We can't understand how the Administration can issue another order to make changes in the fee structure of private unaided schools.”

Atul Khanna, director of Strawberry Fields High School, said, "Schools, by and large, are working with their parent community to make as many accommodations in fee collection as practically possible since the salaries of teachers and the support staff are dependent upon the timely payment of fee. Our parent body has been commendably consistent and understanding of the many factors that are being taken into account."

However, the rationale behind releasing the orders by the Education Department is to benefit students who have not been able to pay the fee due to financial constraints. Prabhjot Kaur, District Education Officer, Chandigarh, said, “We had been receiving complaints from parents whose children were not allowed to attend online classes and schools have been asking them to clear their dues first. This order is for students who have not been able to pay the fee for 2020-21 session due to financial problems. The order does not talk about those students who have already paid the fee.”

The department had clarified that the school managements should not debar any student from attending either online classes or physical classes on account of non-payment of fee, arrears or outstanding fee and shall not withhold the results of the examination of any student on that account.

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