Pune civic body education department forms committee to look into school fee payment issue
Parents have complained that schools have not sent login id or password and in some cases have sent them the school leaving certificate, says Minakshi Raut, PMC’s education officer
Amid protests held by parents from various city schools over the fee payment issue the education department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has formed a three-member committee to look into the issue.
In the last couple of months, parents and private schools are at loggerheads over the school fee payment issue. The parents have alleged that schools had discontinued the online classes of students who have not paid the fees.
According to the order issued by Minakshi Raut, PMC’s education officer, now a three-member committee will conduct an enquiry in the matter.
“The committee will conduct an enquiry of schools about whom we have received complaints. Parents have complained that schools have not sent login id or password and in some cases have sent them the school leaving certificate,” she said.
“The committee will conduct an enquiry and submit a detailed report to the department,” said Raut.
During the hearing in the Bombay High Court on October 14 regarding the order about fee payment during a pandemic disaster, the court had asked the government to bring the matters of coercive action by schools, if any, to the notice of the high court. If the school are not providing online education or expel the child for non-payment of fees or take any other action, now such actions by the school will be contempt of court.
According to the court, the education authorities now have to take ‘administrative and criminal’ action and report it to the court as it will be contempt of the high court.
Swapnil Pangare, a parent said, “Due to the current pandemic situation we are suffering a financial loss in business and many parents have even lost their jobs. How can we pay lakhs of rupees in fees right away? There should be some concession for this year.”