In an order which would provide some relief to the parents, the Uttarakhand Government has asked the private schools not to increase their fee in this academic year. These orders were given by the Education Minister Arvind Pandey to the education secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram on Monday.
A formal order regarding the same would be soon issued by the education department. The minister held a meeting with the secretary at the residence of former on the day. Discussions on many issues were held in the meeting. Pandey said that the State Government is thinking about taking services of the Panchayat and Local Urban Body representatives for providing textbooks to the students. Due to the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the spread of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the schools are closed and as markets are also shut down, the textbooks have not reached to the students.
In such a situation, the minister asked education secretary to explore the possibility of entrusting public representatives with the task of supplying textbooks in their localities.
The Minister also directed the secretary to complete homework on the issues related to promotions, guest teachers, retirement benefits and appointment of teachers during the time when the schools are closed. After the opening of the schools, focus would be on teaching only.
In the meeting, the Minister also dwelt upon the measures to continue studies of students in their homes.
Apart from restricting the private schools for increasing the fees in the new academic year, the minister requested the financially capable members of society and school owners to adopt a magnanimous attitude on the fees of the lockdown period.
It is pertinent to mention here that the government had ordered that the schools should not charge fees for the period of lockdown.
However the private schools had requested that they should be allowed to collect fees from parents who are capable so that they are able to provide salaries to their staff.