Coimbatore: Private schools demanding fees ignoring government order, say parents

COIMBATORE: Private schools in the district are demanding term fees despite the government order barring it during the lockdown, parents say.
A parent, whose ward studies in an ‘international school’ at Thoppampatti Pirivu, said he got a call from the school on Tuesday asking him to collect textbooks for the coming academic year. “When I asked them whether it was only about getting books, they said only if we pay the term fee of Rs 50,000, we would be given the books,” he told TOI. “I run a small business. Amid the lockdown, I had no income and had to take care of other expenses such as salaries. How can I pay the fee?”
A Thondamuthur resident, whose kid studies in a matriculation school at Kalikkanaickenpalayam, said the school sent a message asking him to get books and uniform. “When I went to the school and bought them, they asked me to pay the term fees next month,” he said.
A school on the Avinashi Road hiked the fee and asked them to pay it within May 31, parents said.
Private school representatives said while they understood that some parents would not be able to pay fee due to financial constraints, those who can, should pay up and help schools pay salaries to teachers.
R Visalakshi, president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, conceded that private schools could wait for some time before demanding fee. “But affluent parents can pay fee. Schools depend on it,” she said.
Meanwhile, school education department officials said they have been acting on the complaints. Director of matriculation schools A Karuppasamy said they have taken action against private schools through the chief education officials. “We will act on violations based on complaints,” he said.
Dheeraj Kumar, principal secretary to the department of school education, said the State has given a written order that private schools should not to compel parents to pay fee. “No school should force parents for fee. Those who wish to file a complaint can contact chief education officers,” he said.
Coimbatore chief education officer P Usha said the officials are following the complaints and are maintaining a record. Parents can send complaints to ceo_cbe@yahoo.co.in and ceocbe@nic.in