A circular of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to affiliated schools to collect fee from students online or though cashless mode from next month has taken schools in the city by surprise.
CBSE secretary Joseph Emmanuel had said in the circular that “with a view to reducing cash transactions at school, all CBSE-affiliated schools shall introduce fee collection from students only online or through non-cash mode from the next quarter commencing from January 2017 onwards.”
A number of school authorities here said they were yet to get the circular, while some said they had come to know of it through WhatsApp and other informal channels.
Saraswathi Vidyalaya chairman Rajmohan said the school had a bank counter on its premises to enable parents to pay their wards’ fee.
At the same time, the school was in the process of making available an online gateway for parents to remit fee easily without coming to school.
“We have tied up with the State Bank of Travancore to make this facility available. A few technicalities need to be cleared before fee collection goes online,” he said
St. Thomas Central School principal Sebastian T. Joseph said the if there was a circular, schools would have no option but to follow it.
Some principals said schools would experience logistical issues in shifting to non-cash modes of payment at such short notice.
A principal, who did not want to identified, said parents would be put to hardship by the decision, coming as it does on the heels of demonetisation.
While the school had made available the online option to parents, more time should have been allowed for a total shift to non-cash modes.
“A system is already in place. For proper execution of the circular, more time should have been allowed,” he said.
The decision is also being seen as in line with the stress on cashless transactions all round.
Navajeevan Bethany Vidyalaya principal Shahna Renjith said it would help in timely remittance of fee.
“The inconvenience of remitting fee in schools leads to delays. The CBSE decision will benefit parents,” she said.
The school, she said, had been receiving a number of queries from parents asking if e-payment was possible.
However, internet access remains an area of concern. Dr. GR Public School principal Joe Jagadeesh said his schools had students who were first-generation learners or whose parents were daily wage workers.
“It will be a problem for such people to pay fee online. Also, there is need for awareness of internet safety if online payment is being implemented,” he said.
Agreeing with this, Ms. Renjith said, “We have students from all sections of society. Their convenience will need to be looked into. But we are sure that while some parents will face problems, in due course they too will shift to cashless fee payment.”
