‘We can’t start e-learning if parents don’t pay any fees’

█ Budget schools in a fix

Several city-based English-medium schools catering to lower income groups say due to state govt order, parents of students are paying nothing, making it difficult to disburse teachers’ salaries or set up tech for online classes; education officials say parents should pay some amount at least

Soon after the state government has asked schools to begin the academic session for all students via online education, an impediment has cropped up. Private English-medium schools in the budget category have claimed they are experiencing difficulties in following the diktat, asserting that less than five per cent of students’ parents are paying the fees for the next academic year. So, the institutes are finding it tough to pay teachers as well as set up technology required to launch fullscale digital sessions.

Most of the children studying at budget schools hail from lower middle income groups, and many of their families — experiencing difficulties during the COVID-19 lockdown — are unable to pay their fees. For instance, the mother of a child in Saraswati Bhuwan English School in Pimple Gurav, choosing to stay unnamed, said that as she works as a house help, she has faced a complete halt on work for weeks. This being the only income in their house, fees seem to be far cry.

Stuck in this Catch-22, even if the parents wish for their kids to not miss out, the schools cite that they can’t start online education unless paid.


For instance, Simranjeet Chawla, director of the Juniors Orchid School in Pimple Gurav, explained, “I have not received even one per cent payment of fees for the new academic year. Further, there is also a three per cent backlog of payments from last year. We are unable to pay salaries to our staff and set up online education systems. We have used free social media to share videos for education during vacations, but a formal platform for learning needs access to some types of software. Moreover, teachers are also naturally demanding the assurance of continued payment.”

Echoing this, Kishore Mane, head of Pragati English-medium School in Dhanori, added, “Due to the lockdown, we had to shut school abruptly. Thereafter, there were government circulars on not forcing parents to pay fees during lockdown. But this has now led to challenges in beginning elearning. Most of the children come from lower income group, so available Android phones, desktops or laptops are a far cry. It is unfortunately difficult to start online learning this way.”

Besides the children themselves, the teachers are also facing some obstacles with availability of ready technology in their homes. The full onus of providing e-learning resources is on the school management.

Shivane-based Prestige Public School director Om Sharma emphasised, “The parents have taken instructions of the state government as it suits them and are not paying fees. But, we have started requesting those who can shell out to do so, as schools too are facing a financial crunch. If teachers are not paid, they are also not willing to work.” Most of these schools are part of various associations, including the Independent English Schools Association (IESA) and Private Unaided Schools Management Association (PUSMA). Recently, when these groups surveyed the scenario, it was found that at least 60 per cent of schools in the entire state are unable to start online classes from June 15, as instructed.

Elaborating on this, IESA working president Rajendra Singh said, “In Pune, if there are more than 400 private unaided schools, over 70 per cent of these are in the budget category, with annual fees from Rs 6,000-30,000. Their students’ parents not having paid at the moment, they are facing financial constraints and cannot start elearning. The state government needs to ensure that relations between parents and schools develop in such a way that the former pay fees on time to help schools run. Their orders demanding that parents not be forced to pay fees but to pay salaries to teachers are contradictory. Budget schools cannot sustain without fees being paid for long.”

Now, these institutes have launched a social media campaign asking for fees to save their future. Added Chawla, “I am also planning to write a final letter to the education department to give us a solution to this crisis. They are asking us for written assurance that we will give them salaries if online classes are started. I am on the verge of shutting this school.”

Similarly, Saraswati Bhuwan English School director Jagruti Dharmadhikari reasoned, “Even if 30-40 per cent of the parents of our students pay the fees of the next academic year, it will be easy for us to run for the next few months. Be it quarterly or monthly, parents should pay fees.”

Meanwhile, the authorities said that while they had asked schools not to force parents to pay, those who can afford to shell out for fees, especially for smaller periods of time, should do so themselves. State education commissioner Vishal Solanki told Mirror, “The order is clear — parents should not be forced to pay full-year fees, but should start paying for at least one or three months. Otherwise, it will be difficult for schools to continue imparting education. The state government will also start education through radio and television. But with schools told to start virtual education, parents can no longer give the lockdown as a reason. The situation is uncertain for schools, too.”