Noida: Children denied online classes over non-payment of fee, allege parents

NOIDA: A Class 7 student of a Noida school was allegedly barred from online classes and removed from the class WhatsApp group for not paying fees during the lockdown.
Similar treatment was also claimed to have been meted out to a Class 8 student of a major school in Ghaziabad. She too was allegedly stopped from attending e-classes. She failed to pay the fees after her father lost his job.
A government order issued during the lockdown had stated that schools cannot stop online classes over non-payment of fees. However, many parents have lodged complaints with the education officers of Noida and Ghaziabad claiming their wards were denied classes.
Shivani Jain, president, All School Parents Association, said: “We have forwarded a series of complaints to the district inspector of schools (DIOS). Even if notices have been issued by the DIOS, the schools are not responding. As a result, many children continue to suffer.”
The DIOS in Ghaziabad, Ravi Datt said he has been getting complaints on these issues and he will be meeting parents and school officials to resolve the individual problems this week onwards.
“We have been receiving complaints that the schools are not paying heed to a government order issued during lockdown that no school can stop online schooling facility for children if their parents are unable to pay fees for some time because of joblessness caused by the lockdown. I have issued notices to many schools but they are not responding. This week onwards, I am starting a series of meetings where parents and school principals will meet face-to-face and solve the problem. However, on the outset if parents are not able to pay fees, they should make a formal appeal with the school and request for a waiver instead of just expecting the school to respond to the situation automatically,”
“We have been supporting parents and made multiple appeals to the leading schools in Ghaziabad to not stop classes for children. Many parents have gone through financial difficulties and they should be given some alternatives to help clear their dues at a later stage,” Shivani Jain said.
The All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA) has filed an RTI with the education department to seek the number of complaints on this issue. “We are waiting for the DIOS to respond on this matter,” Yatendra Kasana, president, ANSPA said.
However, DIOS (Gautam Budh Nagar), Neeraj Pandey said, “Schools have their own liabilities and not every school will be able to subsidise students. In the case of individual complaints, parents will have to seek cooperation from the schools. If schools don’t agree, then they may have to send children to alternate schools with low fees liability.”
Meanwhile, some parents said they will now approach the state government.