Parents’ body asks Telangana to intervene in fee row

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) on Monday alleged that several schools were asking parents to clear the first term fee of the 2020-21 academic year by the second week of April. They requested the state to intervene and direct schools to extend the deadline till at least June. They added that schools should also be asked not to hike the fee for the coming academic year.
“Every year, we have to clear the first term fee by March 31. But, this year, due to the lockdown, my business has been shut and I have no income. Schools should give us a little more time during this unprecedented crisis,” said the parent of a Class 10 child studying at a top school. Parents said that apart from asking to pay the fee for the first term (April, May, and June) in advance, schools are threatening to impose fine if there is any delay in payment. A few parents also complained that schools are threatening to detain students if they fail to attend online classes regularly.
Officials from the education department said that schools cannot demand the fee until April 14. “After April 14, we will be discussing on all these issues. Until then, no school, irrespective of which board it is affiliated to, can demand fee,” said Hyderabad district education officer Venkata Narassamma. Reacting on schools threatening to detain students, she said that no school has the right to detain students up to class 8.
Telangana Recognised School Managements Association, however, said it is hard for them to survive without collecting fee dues. “Some parents are yet to clear dues for the current academic year itself. Just because we sent a mail or message, doesn’t mean they are going to pay immediately,” said S Srinivas Reddy of TRSMA. He said that it’s not fair on the state’s part to ask them to pay 100% salaries and insist that they don’t collect fees.