AMN / AHMEDABAD
As many as 1500 self-financed schools in Gujarat have decided to discontinue online education from today. The decision came after the Education Department issued a notification which restricted self-financed schools from charging fees from the parents until the schools reopen.
The notification directed self-financed schools not to collect tuition fees from students as long as they remain shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It said, no school shall expel students of Class 1 to 8 for not depositing tuition fees during this period as per the order of the Gujarat High Court.
Meanwhile, the Self-Finance School Management Federation said, the school management is finding it difficult to pay salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff without charging fees from parents.
A Public Interest Litigation has already been filed in the Gujarat High Court seeking a direction to private schools not to charge fees other than tuition fees and not increase fees for the 2020-21 academic session. The said notification was issued after Gujarat High Court directed the State Government to work out some modalities with private schools regarding fees.