Schools should not force parents for fees: Govt

Sanjay Patil : Nagpur : Considering the coronavirus pandemic, schools should not force parents regarding depositing fees of their wards, the Government Resolution (GR) issued by School Education Department says. The GR has made it clear that World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Covid-19 as the pandemic. Going ahead, the country and respective States have implemented The Pandemic Disease Act 1897 and Disaster Management Act 2005.

State is observing lockdown since long. Against this backdrop, Government has received certain complaints against some schools which are allegedly forcing parents to deposit the fees of their wards, the resolution elaborated.

Taking serious cognizance of the complaints the Education Department has come up with the instructions wherein it made clear, school management should not force parents to deposit the fees of current academic year and next academic year immediately.

Government in GR has said, the decision of instructing schools has been taken as per the powers bestowed upon State under Section 21 of Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Fee Regulating) Act 2011 and Section 26 (I) and (I) of Disaster Management Act. Government has given certain suggestions by which schools can recover fees.

1. The fees of the academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21 can be taken per month or every three months instead of asking parents to pay at once.

2. Institutions should not hike the fees for the year 2020-21.

3. In case if no educational facilities are used in the academic year 2020-21 and if that expenditure is reduced then a resolution in the meeting of Parents committee can be passed to reduce the fees.

4. During the lockdown period parents should be given the option of depositing fees on-line

.

Meanwhile some schools have expressed their inability to pay the salaries of their employees. A senior member of the Management of a renowned school told ‘The Hitavada’, “The salaries are paid out of the fees we receive from the students. If we are not supposed to force parents to pay the fees then how and from where would we make the salaries of our staff. I think the decision is one way and some options should be given to school managements also on the lines of those given to parents. If relaxation is given to parents they would not pay the fees and it would burden on us making it difficult to make the salaries of our staff.”

खासगी शाळांचे शुल्क माफ करा

नागपूर : राज्य सरकारने कामगार आणि लहान-मोठ्या व्यवसायात काम करणाऱ्यांवर आलेले संकट लक्षात घेऊन खासगी कंपन्या व लहान उद्योगधंदे तत्काळ सुरू करावे आणि खासगी शाळांचे तीन महिन्यांचे शुल्क माफ करावे, अशी मागणी बहुजन समाज पक्षाचे जिल्हाध्यक्ष संदीप मेश्राम यांनी केली आहे.

यासंदर्भात मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव ठाकरे, पालकमंत्री नितीन राऊत, जिल्हाधिकारी रवींद्र ठाकरे व महापालिका आयुक्त तुकाराम मुंढे यांना मेश्राम यांनी निवेदन पाठवले. लॉकडाउनमुळे सर्व व्यवहार ठप्प झाल्याने सर्वसामान्यांसह राज्याची आर्थिक स्थिती खालावली आहे. यात सुधारणा करण्यासाठी शहरासोबतच ग्रामीण भागात कामधंदे सुरू केल्यास गरिबांना काम मिळेल. राज्यात मोठ्या प्रमाणात रोजंदारीने काम करणारे श्रमिक तसेच, इतर उद्योगधंद्यात काम करणारे कामगार आहेत. खासगी कंपन्यांमध्ये काम करणाऱ्या कामगारांवर संकट ओढवले आहे. कंपन्या सुरू केल्यास आर्थिक संकट दूर होईल, असा दावा मेश्राम यांनी केला आहे.

महसूल विभागाने खरेदी-विक्रीचे व्यवहार सुरू करावे. यातून नागरिकांच्या पैशांची गरज पूर्ण होईल. पैसा बाहेर येईल व सरकारलादेखील महसूल मिळेल. कामधंदे व वेतन नसल्याने असंख्य पालकांकडे शाळेचे शुल्क भरण्यास पैसे नाहीत. त्यामुळे सर्व खासगी शाळांचे तीन महिन्यांचे शुल्क माफ करून सर्वसामान्य व मध्यमवर्गीयांना दिलासा द्यावा. राज्याने आर्थिक संकटातून बाहेर पडण्यासाठी विविध उपाययोजना करणे आवश्यक आहे. करोनाच्या संकटाला सामोरे जाण्यासाठी सर्वांनी सहकार्य केले आहे. राज्यकर्त्यांनी याचाही विचार करावा. सरकारने तातडीने पावले उचलून ठोस उपाययोजना कराव्या, असेही संदीप मेश्राम यांनी म्हटले आहे.