These States Want Parents to Only Pay Tuition Fee In Lockdown

Delhi, too, has now urged schools to only charge tuition fee from parents during the lockdown period.

(Photo: AP/Mahesh Kumar A)

Faced with job loss, pay-cuts and a steep decline in business due to the onset of the novel coronavirus, many lockdown-hit parents have been asking private schools to charge only tuition fee. Responding to these requests, governments in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have now issued strict guidelines for schools when it comes to collecting fees.

After repeated calls from the Delhi Parent Associations and other parent bodies, the government has ordered all private schools to charge only tuition fee on a month-to-month basis, while asking them to not force parents to pay other miscellaneous fee heads like transport and development charges.

Addressing a press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also the state’s education minister, said:

“We have got several complaints about schools hiking fees and also levying charges like transport fee, which is not even being utilised during the lockdown. No private school will be allowed to hike fees without seeking permission from the government. Schools also cannot charge beyond the tuition fee.”

Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister

He also clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be levied during the lockdown, which will continue till 3 May.

In Punjab, Show Cause Notices to Schools

In Punjab too, show-cause notices have been sent to many educational institutions, who had asked for fees during lockdown. State Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla had said that schools cannot ask for fees from children on the basis of online classes. The minister told the schools that they cannot force the parents for books, uniforms and transportation fees.

Strict Instructions in UP & Haryana

Governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have also asked schools not to pressure parents for fees. The Haryana government has also instructed all private schools in the state not to pressurise the parents to deposit any fees till the lockdown period is over.

During the lockdown, the Rajasthan government has prohibited schools from taking advance or three months fee from students. State Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that in case parents fail to deposit fees, names of student's should not be removed from the school roll.