TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: During the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, every country is moving toward adopting a new way of surviving. However, the economy of the country is declining as every industry or sector is a temporary shutdown and will be until the situation gets better. Fortunate to the technology, some sectors are running their work from home so they can provide a salary to the workers or somehow participate in raising the economy. The education instructions are also closed, but working overtime to adopt the new way of teaching via bringing the concept of online classes to the home of their students.
Well, most of the school has started online classes, providing assignments, and assuring all the aspect to not provide any inconvenience in terms of education loss. Although, schools are charging their regular fees which include, the tuition fee, convenes charge, computer fee, and more. In addition to this, parents are objecting as school is demanding unnecessary charges. Because of the lockdown, schools are closed and students are not using any such facility so how school can charge for those items.
Well, this is the issue that most of the parents are looking for an answer. In a matter of fact, students are taking online classes from their homes then why parents will pay for irrational charges for extra curriculum, workshops, education trips, convince charge, etc. In this accusation, some schools have managed their fee structure, but some have just give relaxations with no late fee penalties and said they have to pay for teacher salaries, other workers as well. They understand the financial hardship currently facing by several parents therefore, schools providing relaxation in the time but not in the amount.
With taking all the aspects and financial hardship, government provided circular to all the schools to not take advance fees during the period, but there is no clarity, whether they have to pay later or not. Schools are not forcing the parents but requesting them whoever can pay, should pay right now. As schools can’t negate their responsibilities and have to meet the commitments of proving salaries to housekeeping, security, guards, and other workers who still working in the lockdown.
In all of this, some parents have paid the fee but some are still facing financial hardship and requesting schools to waive the fee during this COVID-19 Pandemic as many get unemployed. However, the government is actively working for such parents as far as the matter about fee are concerned but it is a complex situation, no one can predict what will happen. In this circumstance, we have to think about each one and do our best to serve whether a school or an individual parent. If you’re enough capable to pay your children fee, then you should so the school can provide a salary to their respective staff.
In respective to the parents, schools are not supposed to make arbitrary and charge irrational charges from the students. Where tuition is acceptable but vehicle and meal charges are completely baseless and they should remove them regardless.