Central Park in Jaipur

Parents uproar against schools over fee waiver at Central Park in Jaipur

News

Five months have been passed since the schools are shut due to lockdown. But the fee submission issue continues to trouble parents. Agitated parents gathered at Central Park on Friday to protest against private schools of the city to demand full fees’ waiver.

Parents of students of many private schools of Jaipur, part of All Rajasthan Private School Parents Forum, flocked in huge numbers demanding fee waiver. They protested with placards and shouted slogans. Slogans of ‘no school, no fee’ and asked for fee waiver were raised as no classes were held. 

Since there are no physical classes going on due to the coronavirus lockdown. Parents want relief from the school fees as schools are not providing any facility to the students. They are demanding that there should be no charges for online classes.

According to Sunil Yadav, president of the organisation, “Most of us have suffered losses during the lockdown. We want relief from the payment of fees by the schools as they do not have to provide any facility to our children in schools. In the name of online classes, schools can’t charge us 100% fees.”

In April, the government halted the fees for three months and now until schools reopen. At present, the Rajasthan government has held off the school fees until the schools reopen. But the parents are being asked to pay the fee dues. In such a situation when the schools will reopen parents may have to pay the entire amount causing a burden on parents. Parents are demanding a final decision from the government

The state government is yet to announce further guidelines regarding the matter in continuation to the first one. However, no advisory has been issued to date.

In reply to this, president of Society for Unaided Private Schools of Rajasthan, said, “If parents do not want to give any fees because schools are not functioning, then they can’t expect us to provide any online classes. Teachers’ salaries are being reduced or withheld due to non-payment of fees, now they are also refusing to teach. So, it is neither practical nor possible to not ask for payment of fees.”