The Haryana government on Thursday directed the private schools to defer all charges like building and maintenance funds except tuition fees and also told not to include any hidden charges in the monthly fee. The parents' associations, however, demanded that the tuition fee be reduced by half in view of the grim economic situation due to lockdown.
The Directorate of Secondary Education, in its directions, said certain guidelines had been issued to the private schools on April 12 regarding fees but it had been brought to their notice that the management was seeking charges other than the tuition fees from the parents. Issuing seven-point directions, the government categorically said the schools should only charge the monthly fees and not enhance it. The order said the charges such as building and maintenance funds and entry and computer fees be deferred in view of the unprecedented situation emerging out of COVID-19. Reiterating its earlier order to not charge the transport fee during the lockdown period, the government directed the schools to ensure that no hidden charges were added to the monthly fee. The government directed the schools not to change the uniform, textbooks, notebooks etc.
Saying that any violation of the directions will attract action under the Haryana Education Guidelines, 2003, the order said the schools cannot strike off the names of the students or deprive them of online classes for non-payment of fees.
Gurgaon Parents Association demanded that the tuition fees be reduced by 50 % in view of the reduction in salaries of the middle class and the loss of business. It also sought clarity on the payment of annual fees saying that the order was mum on it.
Tripti Singh, administrator “Gurgaon Parents for Better Education”, a Facebook forum for parents, students and educational institutions, welcomed the move to put on hold fees for any heads other then tuition fees, but added that parents were still concerned whether these fees had been deferred or cancelled altogether for this period. She demanded to know whether it meant that the school could charge some of the other fees with retrospective effect in next quarter.
