Parents hail Supreme Court view on fee cut for online-only classes

LUCKNOW: Parents of schoolgoing children have welcomed the Supreme Court’s advice to private schools to reduce fees as their running cost has gone down with classes being held in online mode only.
Private schools, however, have expressed inability to do so as they claim that they are already running into losses as they have not hiked the fee for the last three years and maintenance cost of school building and infrastructure has also gone up.
“I had to get a Wi-Fi connection and two laptops and arrange for a small reading and activity room for my children so that their overall development is not hampered due to online classes. When school libraries, electricity, internet, sports facilities and other infrastructure is not being used and parents have to shell extra to make education facilities available at home, why shouldn’t the school fee be reduced,” asked Rahul Srivastava, a parent. “We are thankful to the SC that it has paid attention to the issue. Private schools are charging hefty fee just for online classes of few hours,” he added.
“Schools are not reducing fees, not paying salaries to their staff and have sacked employees in the name of Covid. They are saving and making money in every way. The government should direct all private schools to waive 50% of school fee,” another parent, Rishabh Tiwari, said.
He said the schools had reduced the hours of teaching and parents were sitting with children for online classes then then there was no point in charging hefty fee.
“Not a single classs was held for the entire month of April and the academic session is beginning from mid-May. Why are schools charging the fee for one and a half months when nothing is being done,” a parent, Jyotsna Singh, asked. She added that the fee shold be reduced and parents like her who had already submitted the fee should be refunded the amount.
Meanwhile, the president of Unaided Private School Association Anil Agarwal said, “Schools have not increased fees for the last three years. On the contrary, schools have given concessions to the parents who were unable to pay the fees during pandemic.” He said if the government could promise the waiver of fixed electricity charges, sewage charges and water tax and was ready to bear the cost of insurance of school buses, fitness of school vehicles and salaries of drivers, the schools would reduce the fees.
“Due to inflation, the maintenance cost of school buildings is going up every day. The salaries of all the employees has to be given,” said Sarvesh Goel, chairman of GD Goenka Public School. “Many schools are giving scholarships and fee concession. Schools which have cut down these expenses can reduce their fees but it is not possible for others,” he added.