MYSURU: Representatives of CBSE, ICSE and State Board Private School Management Association (CISPMA) from five southern districts of the state — Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan and Kodagu — have planned a meeting to discuss the issue of reopening schools. Some are of the opinion that schools should reopen in a phased manner, starting with high schools first.
Representatives will meet in Mysuru to discuss problems faced by
private schools during the pandemic and they will also take stock of online classes as a mode of educating students. However, the main agenda will be reopening schools.
Members have been advocating reopening of schools. They say that with half the academic year over, almost every school is struggling as their revenues have been drastically hit. Since classes are being conducted online, only a few parents have paid fees — many have made only partial payments and many others none at all — and representatives say running an institution under such conditions is challenging. They say teachers haven’t been paid full salaries for the past six months.
Representatives say some parents in urban pockets are okay with online classes continuing for the rest of the academic year since they won’t have to pay full fees.
Sudhakar Shetty, president of the association, confirmed the meeting and said the discussion will centre on the issue of reopening schools. “The challenges schools are facing in European nations after they reopened will also be considered during the discussion,” he said. “We are meeting for the first time on an important subject. We’re expecting participation of nearly 100 schools from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan and Kodagu.”
As many as 240 schools are members of the association. Roughly about 60 other private institutes operate in these districts. In all, about 3 lakh students study in CBSE, ICSE and state board private schools in these districts.
Last month, the government said it was in no hurry to reopen schools and insisted safety of students was paramount. “We have no plans to reopen schools any time soon,” primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar said. He said he would seek opinion from all stakeholders, including the health department before taking a call on the issue.