Advocate's move to make private schools cut students' fees during COVID pandemic

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Considering the pandemic situation caused by Covid 19, demand to reduce monthly tuition fee of Non Government Educational Institutions have come in from parents and guardians from different economical backgrounds.

Meanwhile, Advocate of Gauhati High Court (GHC) Fazluzzaamn Mazumder had forwarded a suggestion to the Director of Secondary Education department, Assam to design a policy or issue a guideline for the purpose of providing a relief to the parents by reducing tuition fee collected by different Non Government Educational Institutions.

In his appeal the advocate suggested the State government to lay down policy to reduce tuition fee of private schools as per the provision of section 17 of Assam Non Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of fees) Act 2018. Such policy also can be designed under the provision of Section 22 of the Disaster Management Act of 2005.

"The whole world is going through extreme crisis because of pandemic situation caused by covid19 state of Assam is also badly affected. Since last two months commercial institutes, markets and private offices are not functioning. As a result such deadly crisis all sources of income have been almost closed," said Advocate Mazumder.

He further added that, "Educational institutions of the state are also closed only online classes are going on. Astonishing fact is that although regular classes are not being held and schools are not functioning but the management of such non-government educational institution collecting full tuition fee imposing financial burden on the parents who are facing extreme financial difficulties because of pandemic situation."

Advocate Mazumder also appealed to director of Secondary Education to direct to the private school management not charge tuition fees if any student does not subscribe to the online education. Permission of the parents of the students has to be taken by the school management for online education if such permission is not taken school management shall not be allowed to charge tuition fees.

The facilities not being utilized by the students like laboratory, sports library, curricular activities, development fees, boarding fees etc. no fees under this head will be charged by schools. When schools reopen, it will be duty of the schools to impart the complete syllabus as prescribed by the board to the students who did not study in online classes and the said syllabus will have to be completed by the schools the school will ensure equality between offline and online students.

It needs to be mentioned that section 17 of Assam Non Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of fees) Act 2018, has empowered the state authority to control tuition fees under any situation. Such policy also can be designed under the provision of Section 22(j) of the Disaster Management Act of 2005 authorized the state authority to advise and coordinate the activities of non governmental organization in disaster management.

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