School kids across Karnataka will only have to pay 70% of tuition fees: Education minister

BENGALURU: The Karnataka education department has announced that for the year 2020-21, tuition fees will be reduced to 70 percent across boards. No other fees (like term fees or school development fees) can be charged by schools, said the minister for primary and secondary education, Suresh Kumar.

Addressing mediapersons on Friday, he said that all stakeholders were consulted as on the one hand, paying fees was difficult for parents and on the other hand, schools had to pay salaries.

Private unaided schools and parents were approached for a discussion. The Chief Minister also was approached to decide on the path ahead, said Kumar.

He said that schools did not run for six months. However, teachers have to be paid, hence this arrangement has been made. Any school wanting to charge a lesser fee is welcome to do so, he added, and said that in case someone has paid more fees already, the amount can be adjusted for the coming year.

Parents who have unpaid fees left should also be given the choice of paying in two to three installments.

To deal with differences between parents and adminsitrators regarding the fee issue, he said that a district level and a state level committee with powers is being formed.

Another crucial debate now is that the second term fee is being charged and students are being blocked from online classes, he said. This was despite the September 5 circular by the department that all students have to be admitted to school and pay a one-term fee.

"Tuition fees also include the salaries paid to staff and other fees like library fees. There are several other fees beside the tuition fees -- for instance school development fees, donations by trusts that run the school, transport fees and other extracurricular fees -- all of which have been scrapped, since that service has not been given. Online education has been given, but no extra amount can be charged for it -- tuition fees will be for online education," said SR Umashankar, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education Department.