Lockdown Crisis: Parents requests for fee waiver, while school concerns to pay salaries

Parents in neighbouring Gurgaon and Noida have got some respite in this regard. While Noida administration ordered on Sunday that no educational institution across Noida and Greater Noida can force parents of any student for fees during the COVID-19 lockdown or bar pupils from attending online classes, the Haryana government had last week ordered that all fee collection activities be suspended by schools till the lockdown is over.

The Delhi Parents Association, has also written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, requesting for a moratorium on school fee collection. “As the income and revenue from small and medium enterprises has already been stopped and the reserve fund has already been used to be utilised to meet out daily needs, it is a very tough time. We request that a moratorium on collection



of fees can be declared for at least one quarter or so as an austerity measure in such unprecedented situation of lockdown,” the association said.

According to officials of the Directorate of Education (DoE), a solution is yet to be materialised in this regard and suggestions are being sought from various stakeholders. “We have been getting messages from parents that fee during the lockdown should be waived but schools say that how will they give salaries, which is also a genuine concern.

“The government has actively worked for parents as far as the matters about fees have been concerned but right now it is a tricky situation. If anybody has concrete suggestions about a balanced way out of the situation, we request to share it wit us”, a senior DoE official told PTI.