Help affordable private schools stay afloat: AAP

BENGALURU: The Aam Aadmi Party has written to the Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar to ensure that affordable private schools in the state are not shut down due to their inability to pay teachers.

Prithvi Reddy, State Convenor of AAP, Karnataka, said that parents send their wards to government schools not because they have a choice in the matter. “Now, if good and affordable private schools are shut down, then where will the common man go for quality education?” he asked. 

Private schools have been seeking government intervention in the fee payment issue. School administrators said that teachers are paid with the fees paid by the students. With most parents not paying for last year and some not even registering this academic year, it has become difficult for the schools to pay the teachers. 

Addressing the education conundrum brought by online classes, Reddy said that many parents, particularly from affordable private schools, feel that schools should not be charging regular fees as their children simply cannot access the online classes due to lack of a dedicated device. “This reinforces the opinion that children are basically on an extended vacation,” he added.

For this, AAP recommended that the government find ways to facilitate easy zero-interest loans for smartphones and tablest for students in private schools.