news details |
|
|
| COVID-19: Rajasthan, Karnataka govts slash tuition fee; J&K admin silent, pvt schools dictate terms | | | early times report
jammu, Jan 30: Private schools in Jammu region have not shown any mercy towards the people in COVID times as they have made the parents pay full fees through their nose despite educational institutions remaining closed for more than nine months.
The schools in J&K have been claiming that they are providing online education to the children but the fact is that in the times of 2G, these online studies have proved to be nothing more than a cruel joke. Other States and UTs have slashed the tuition fee despite the fact that students have been getting their lessons without any disruptions due to high speed internet being available 24x7.
A few months ago proposal was moved by the School Education Department in Jammu and Kashmir to look into the possibility of reducing the school fee by 40 percent but that file seems to be gathering dust somewhere as no headway has been made in this regard till date.
Jammu and Kashmir administration should take a cue from Karnataka Government that has slashed the school fee by 30% for the year 2020-21 and has directed all the private institutions to follow the order in letter and spirit.
The Karnataka government has ordered all schools - following either central or state syllabi - to reduce tuition fees for the current academic year by 30% due to COVID-19. The government has also said that no development fees or other fees apart from tuition fee can be charged.
The Karnataka government has also said that if parents have already paid the full fees, school managements will have to adjust the amount in the fee paid for the next year.
Last month Rajasthan High Court had ordered all private schools in the state to charge fees as per the state government's order. In its order on October this year Rajasthan government had stated that till the time schools are not physically open, they can charge 60% of last year's tuition fees. Once they are open, they can charge fees as per the syllabus.
However, in Jammu and Kashmir private schools have been in the news of an on for the wrong reason. After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic the educational institutions in the union territory have remained adamant on their demand to charge the full tuition fee.
A parent while talking to Early Times said, "During the COVID times most of the private schools have sacked their teachers. The ones who are still on rolls are working on 50% salaries. These institutions have brought down their expenses to a great extent. Despite that students are being asked to deposit full tuition fee."
He said, "The Jammu and Kashmir administration should take a note of the loot these private schools have resorted to during the pandemic and the directions should be passed to refund the extra fee these institutions of charged during all these months."
The point which many people are raising in J&K is that if the private schools in the other states and union territories can slash the tuition fee why cannot the schools in J&K do the same? Asked about any proposal before the School Education department to direct private schools to reduce school fee, Additional Secretary to School Education department Naseer Ahmad Wani said that he could reply on Monday after getting the details. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
