The Andhra Pradesh Private Schools Association (APPSA) has appealed to Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh to reconsider the government’s decision to suspend school for students of classes I to IX, and instead allow them to function after taking all necessary COVID-19 precautions.
In a letter to the Education Minister on Wednesday, APPSA State chairman K.S.N. Murthy said that if the schools are kept closed, it would result in a drop in literacy rate and create unemployment problems in the future.
“Students have remained at home, and have become addicted to TV and mobile phones for nearly 10 months, and just when the situation was about to get back to normal, the announcement by the government that there would be no examinations for classes I to IX, and that holidays would be declared, has come as a big blow to private school managements, parents and students,” Mr. Murthy said.
“When classes are not run, the low-budget schools would not be in a position to pay the salaries of their teachers and parents are reluctant to send their children to school in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases,” Mr. Murthy said, appealing to the Minister that managements be allowed to run the schools on a shift system or on alternate days or cancel the Class X examinations and announce that the academic year for 2021-22 would begin sometime in June, depending on the COVID situation.
The government should come out with an announcement that examinations will be conducted for classes I to IX as soon as the schools are reopened. This would compel them to study at home for the examinations and not neglect their studies. They should also be directed to clear 70% of the fees, he said.
Many of the school managements are under a steep financial crisis since last year due to COVID, he said, adding that the government should extend a helping hand to the schools that are unable to pay rents, taxes and instalments for the loans. As in Telangana, the Government of AP should give ₹2,000 and 25 kg rice bags to teachers who are rendering service to the schools, he said.
Mr. Murthy said that several school principals have ended their lives unable to face the financial pressures in the past one year.
