Arjumand Shah
Srinagar, May 22: Administration has decided to give “one time financial assistance” to needy private schools teachers who have been hit due to lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir.
Director Finance School Education has written a letter to Director School Education Jammu and Kashmir to provide details of teachers who need financial assistance.
“It has been instructed to explore possibility of providing one time financial assistance to needy private school teachers based on details of fees charged by such schools. I am directed to request you kindly provide detailed information which shall reach to this department within a week’s time positively,” reads the letter, a copy of which lies with news agency KINS.
An official said the step is being taken as most of the private schools have failed to pay salaries to teachers for last three months. “Private schools are claiming they won’t be able to pay salaries to staff till they receive fee from students,” the official said.
The School Education Department has asked parents to pay fee to private schools amid lockdown.
As per the order, “Only tuition fee shall be charged from the students on monthly basis instead of quarterly bases for the lockdown period and no fee hike shall be made during the academic session 2020-21.”
It further says that annual charges, if any, can be charged monthly on pro-rata basis after school reopens and a view regarding transport charges shall be taken separately.
“No school shall deny access to online education, material/ classes to poor/deserving students’ unable to pay school fee due to prevailing situation,” it reads.
Some parents have also filed an online petition demanding there should be no fee to students during lockdown.
As per the petition, “It’s really sad to see how (Education Department) you have fallen into the hands of private schools in order to profitise them at this difficult hour which the whole world is facing”.
“Are you serious about paying of full fees during the time of complete lockdown? Our shops, factories and businesses are closed. We know how we are making our ends meet and paying salaries to our staff from our pockets. So we can bear this burden, then why can’t these schools pay to their staff during lockdown?” the petition reads.
It says that schools have been taking hefty fees from them since years. “Cannot they even pay the salaries of the staff on their own at this time when everyone’s life is compromised,” it says.
“And what happened to the crores of money they have in their SURPLUS FUNDS. Can’t they pay their staff with that money which is also indirectly given by parents only,” the petition reads. (KINS)
