Schools coerce parents to pay fees despite lockdown

Kevin Mendonsa | May 5, 2020, 04:00 IST

Mangaluru: Smitha (name changed) who had been paying the school fee of her children for the entire academic year in one go says she is being pressurised by the school authorities to make payment despite the lockdown.
“I have been sincere in fee payment all these years and have never availed the option to pay in tranches. When the school authorities first requested us to pay the fee, I expressed my inability due to lockdown and financial crunch. I said the same when they called me a second time, but they threatened me with dire consequences if fee was not paid at the earliest,” said a worried Smitha, who runs an eatery.
Smitha is not alone. While parents await school fee waivers during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 situation in the country, several schools in the city are coercing them to make the payment immediately.
Meanwhile, some schools which usually collect fee by April end have not yet asked parents to pay. “I usually pay school fee by April every year. However, this year the school has not communicated about the payment and it will be huge problem if they ask us to do it right now,” said another parent.
“Schools and other education institutions should be considerate in these difficult times. Government has directed the institutions to refrain from hiking the fee this year due and I hope they adhere to it,” the parent added.
Speaking to TOI, Dakshina Kannada deputy director of public instruction Mallesh said they haven’t received any complaint regarding the issue. “However, we have forwarded a missive from commissioner office on collection and revision of school fee to all block education officers in the district,” he added.
Asked about SSLC examinations, Mallesh said the exams will not be cancelled. “Government will announce dates once there is normalcy,” he added.