Goa govt allows private schools to hike fees

PANAJI: Even as parents suffer salary cuts and job losses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government recently allowed private schools to hike their fees for the academic year 2020-21. A circular issued by the directorate of education allows ‘change in fee structure within a limit’, a far cry from states like Delhi and Telangana, which have asked private schools not to hike fees and burden parents.
Goa’s private schools charge fees ranging from Rs 1-1.5 lakh a year per child, and even this steep fee rises by around 10% every year. For parents already struggling with income, this circular is yet another piece of bad news.
Varca-resident Solon Furtado said that many seafarers in the South Goa beach belt, where he resides, are considering withdrawing their students from private schools after loss of jobs or massive cuts in their pay.
“These are unprecedented times and we understand that schools need the cash flow,” said Furtado, the parent of a student of Manovikas School, Margao. “But we all need to share the burden, and schools should consider giving a fee waiver, let alone hiking the fees. Many seafarers have lost their jobs and are considering taking their children out of private schools. Schools need to consider these circumstances.”
According to sources, besides the monthly tuition fees of Rs 5,000-6,500, parents are charged under other heads like development fees, etc, on a quarterly or half-yearly basis. Parents said they pay 20-30% more as fees every year, as higher classes already have a hiked charge, besides the 10% annual hike enforced by schools.
‘This will be a heavy burden to shoulder’
Parents with more than one child in the same school often end up shelling out several lakhs a year.
“Imagine those who have lost jobs and have more than one student studying in private schools. This will be a heavy burden to shoulder,” said another parent.
However, there seems to be some relief for parents. The directorate of education has told schools that charges under heads like uniform, transportation, etc, must be kept in abeyance by the directorate of education.
“Once the lockdown is lifted, the school has said classes will continue online for my daughter, as she is studying in kindergarten. But post-lockdown, both my husband and I will be going to work, and my daughter will be left at home with only her grandmother, who cannot operate a laptop. But I will continue paying the same fee, possibly a hiked one,” said the parent of a child studying at a private school in North Goa.
Founding president of the All Goa Government-Recognised Unaided Schools Association (AGGRUSA), Deepak Khaitan, said private schools are already looking at reduced enrolment this year as some parents are already moving children to aided institutions. But the school still has to meet its fixed expenses like payment of teacher salaries.
“We need to pay teachers and there is infrastructure maintenance, for which the cash flow has to continue. We understand the situation, and parents who are having difficulties in paying the fees should approach the schools. There can be a waiver, but it cannot be a blanket move for all parents. Schools already have a lot of backlog of fees,” said Khaitan
A state official said the fee hike was approved by the directorate of education as it was within the usual yearly limit. “There are plenty of aided schools in the state, which virtually charge next to nothing. Parents have the option of (sending their kids to) these schools if they wish,” said the official.
Meanwhile, parents of students in Manovikas School petitioned the institute asking that the school fees hike be reconsidered. The parents said that teaching assignments have reduced to a fourth of regular teaching during the lockdown, and that parents are left to teach the children.
“Since it is unclear by when schools will reopen, it seems unfair on the part of the management to charge entire fees for the first quarter, inclusive of fee hike, and set a deadline towards making the payment,” the parents said in the petition, adding that the pandemic has overwhelmed everyone “emotionally, mentally and financially.”
School principal Lavita Rodrigues said that the institute has started a Youtube channel to keep the teaching going.
“We understand the situation, and the chairman has already given some concessions. For instance, payment of fees will be taken on a monthly basis and transportation and other such fees will not be charged for now. We have made sure we are keeping teaching activities going through different electronic media,” she said.