DO NOT REOPEN SCHOOLS UNTIL VACCINE FOUND: PARENTS TO MIN

MUMBAI: Several parents of students from across the state met with Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad on Friday evening, requesting her to hold off reopening schools till a vaccine is found for the Sarscov-2 virus which causes Covid-19. India Wide Parents Association, comprising several members from Maharashtra, submitted its list of demands to Gaikwad on Friday.

“Our key demand is that the education department should not rush to reopen schools as it will be risky for children. Online learning can continue until a vaccine is found. Parents won’t be in a position to send their children to school in the current scenario,” said Anubha Sahai, president, India Wide Parents Association.

The group also submitted a set of complaints from parents, about schools pressuring them for full payment of fees.

“Several schools are asking parents to pay the same amount that they were charging earlier, despite the expenditure having reduced with schools remaining shut,” the letter states.

While Gaikwad did not respond to calls and messages, an official from the education department said the complaints will be looked into.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) also complained to the department on Friday, stating that some city schools were threatening to remove children from online classes if parents do not pay the fees in full. “They cannot deny the basic right of students as mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act,” said Chetan Pednekar, vice-president, MNVS.