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As admissions for the new school year resume, many parents say schools have either maintained the same fees as last year or increased them despite online education induced by Covid-19 restrictions.
The parents alleged that various fees for amenities, transportation and snacks are also included in the fees for the students. However, like last year, also this year the schools will operate primarily online.
Speaking of the amenity fees, a Pune-based parent said the school charges 7,000 a year for snacks.
Since online classes are ongoing, why does the school have to charge for snacks and transportation? The student will not use them anyway. During this pandemic, the increase in fees is not justified because parents are experiencing financial difficulties. We understand our schools are good, but schools should also understand the parents’ situation, said one parent.
Another parent of two girls in kindergarten and nursery school said the increase in fees for kindergartens was around 25%.
Compared to last year, the fee increase is over 25 percent. Tuition, admission fees and deposit have been increased. The deposit has been increased from 10,000 to 30,000. The admission fee was around 10,000 which is not 15,000 while the tuition fee was 65,000 which is now 72,000. said the parent.
The parent noted that the increase in nursery fees during the online school year is not justified at all.
Rajendra Singh, president of the Independent English Medium School Association (IESA) said schools maintained the fee structure from last year.
Even though the cost of online education has increased, many schools have maintained the fee structure from last year. This year, parents and teachers both agree that students shouldn’t lose out on learning while teaching online. We need to provide teachers with laptops, and schools need to involve a third party to assess and assess students. These are the costs incurred by the schools. Despite this, schools have not increased the fees, Singh said.
He added that students should be disciplined during online classes to avoid any loss of learning.
Students should wear their uniform and not be disturbed during online lessons. If the child’s video is not on, how can the teacher check if the child is paying attention? This leads to the child’s loss of learning and therefore it is important to discipline the child, Singh said.
In March of this year, the Bombay District Court (HC) overturned the suspension of the Government’s (GR) resolution that banned schools from increasing tuition fees for the 2020-21 school year due to the pandemic.
However, the HC said the state can take action against a school over complaints from parents or even take action on a motorcycle if it is suspected of exploitation by a school.
The court also ordered the state to deal with complaints from parents or take suo moto action against schools that violated the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Fee Regulation) Act (MEIR). It also prevented schools from taking coercive measures, such as expelling or banning attending classes, against students whose parents had lodged complaints.
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