Schools should not be forced to cut corners

We have to look at this from a school’s point of view too. There is a complete lockdown of schools but the expenses are being paid.

Ever since the pandemic began, schools in India have been shut. The precarious nature of the virus and its aftermath are still a part of the daily panic we all endure. Students have had to miss out on a number of positives that come by way of attending classes physically. Online classes have been helpful, but they too come with a cost. Maybe not so much for the parents, but they do so for the school.

Many schools have had to bear the brunt of livid parents who have been protesting that fee hikes have been unfair and heavy on the pockets of people who have already compromised their lifestyle due to the economic strain brought about because of the pandemic.

A petition too was filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking details of the exact quantum of hike in private schools in the region. The government said that the authorities would upload the information on the Department of Education website, once the orders were finalised.

But we have to look at this from a school’s point of view too. There is a complete lockdown of schools but the expenses are being paid. Most schools in Delhi NCR continue to employ the same number of teachers, staff and other sundry personnel. Some schools continue to pay its drivers and maids and other staff that may not be required at all since the buildings are shut and buses are not plying. That is an example of corporate magnanimity whereas the country is replete with profitable companies who have let go of people in the garb of cutting costs. Where is the government action there?

Then there is also this notion that since teachers are working from home there is no extra burden on the school. Teachers too have taken salary cuts during this period so that the institutions can continue to sustain themselves. Many teachers have also faced the axe and are now part of the huge mass of people who have been rendered unemployed as a result of the pandemic. Teachers too have been affected by the crisis and so have their families. Recently the CBSE and DOE have also made it compulsory for teachers to join the Diksha platform and complete the Nishtha modules to reassert their proficiency and competitiveness in the new digital normal world of teaching. If they don’t pass then they need to retake the test. The pressure of this new requirement cannot be undermined.

In the lockdown, some schools have had to upgrade their internet and other technological support systems to get in line with the prevailing norms of conducting classes online. There are schools that are functioning in a deficit since they have not hiked their fee in years now. Some of the best schools have only focused on maintaining their standards and not making profitability a priority. There are a number of examples in the country of schools that have offered the most luxurious of amenities to their students but fail to provide an environment that galvanises a ward to perform better. We all know what these schools focus on: money.

Some of the best schools in the country such as DPS and Modern have continued to render and maintain educational standards that are exemplary. Their fee has always been modest and their demands minimum.

With changing times and increasing costs prevailing to lifestyle, there will be hikes so that the schools can continue to impart knowledge and produce the kind of Indians that can take the country forward.

Comparing the kind of money that is charged by some mediocre institutions on the basis of their optical image is something that the government should look into. Political parties will make noise to wring in the votes but some of our best schools should not have to justify their goodness by compromising on the minimum they expect from parents who want their kids to go to the best schools. It is time we gave our schools some credit and not expect them to cut unnecessary corners.

Vineet Malhotra is a primetime news anchor with Newsx. He tweets at @Malhotravineet7