Ahmedabad: Online classes closed till order is clarified

AHMEDABAD: The managements of city schools are vehemently opposing the government mandate to collect no fees till normal classes resume. To express their protest, most city schools on Thursday suspended online classes, and will stay that way till they get clarity on the government orders.
It goes without saying, most schools pay salaries to educators and staff from the fees they collect.Earlier during the year, the state government had asked schools to avoid raising fees in view of the Covid pandemic, but this decision of ‘no fees’ is difficult for them to digest.
Most school managements have a meagre amount in the school corpus since the Fee Regulation Committee came into action. During Covid times, many parents have not paid fees citing various reasons. Besides, most schools have spent an enormous amount on building infrastructure to impart online classes along with training teachers for the same. This has been done to meet the needs of trying times where physical classroom education is not possible. The expenditure ranges between Rs 5 lakh to one crore.
Instead of recognizing their efforts, the state government is punishing the schools, school managements say.
The principal of a reputed city school says, “Our resources exhausted long ago, which stopped our savings. Now, the government wants schools to spend from savings, which is not there. If we do not take fees, it will be impossible to pay salaries to educators.” Another school management is of the view that fees of some students can be forgiven on humanitarian grounds if parents are in dire crisis, but no fees to be charged by schools, is not a sustainable model.”
A school trustee said, “We have not deducted any salary or expelled anyone. This decision has hit us hard and it is about our survival, so we have closed online education.”