Fee impasse: Private schools in Mysuru decline to promote kids ‘without any yardstick’

MYSURU: There appears to be no signs of a truce in the fee collection row between the department of public instruction, private school managements and parents.
The managements have now taken objection to a DPI directive to all school heads to promote students of classes 1 to 9, based on their performance in several academic activities and update it in the Student Achievement Tracking System (STS) at the earliest.
The managements’ contention is that thousands of parents have not paid fee or even renewed admission of their wards for the academic year. As these children didn’t participate in any of the activities in 2020-21, they can’t be promoted to the next class.
According to the private school heads, DPI officials are insisting they promote the students to the next class based on their performance in the continuous and comprehensive evaluation programme on STS.
Confirming the directive, Mysuru DDPI Panduranga said they will hold bridge courses for all students at the beginning of the next academic year to ensure they attain required learning levels. “No student should be retained in any class just because his/her parents didn’t pay fee. If any school declines to promote, parents can lodge a written complaint with the local block education officer. We will initiate action,” he warned.
“Students were involved in several learning activities through the year, ranging from offline classes for a few weeks to classes on Chandana Doordarshan channel, online lessons and other activities. There is no truth in the argument of these private schools about students not participating in activities,” he maintained.
However, private school managements declined to toe DPI’s line. Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools (KAMS) state general secretary D Shashi Kumar and Mysuru district representative Santosh Kumar said thousands of students did not renew their admission in academic year 2020-21. “They were absent for all activities throughout the year. Several parents informed they will not renew their child’s admission and did not pay fee. Under such circumstances, pressuring the management to promote children to the next class will set a bad precedent,” they said.
“We can’t promote the students blindly. The DPI can’t ask us to promote students without any yardstick,” they added.