‘Allow us to strike off names of fee defaulters after 15th of each month’

SCHOOLS HAVE ALSO WRITTEN THAT THEY WILL BE SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS PARENTS STILL UNABLE TO PAY

CHANDIGARH: Following the dispute between private unaided schools and the administration over the charging of fees to students during the lockdown, the Independent Schools Association (ISA) have prepared a composite proposal for the Chandigarh administration asking that they be allowed to strike the names of students not clearing their dues by the 15th of each month.

The letter (copy with HT) sent to UT administrator VP Singh Badnore and signed by ISA president HS Mamik, mentioned that since the lockdown had gotten over on June 8 and unlock 3.0 was currently in effect, on compassionate grounds, the schools should be allowed to charge fees for the 2020-21 session at the same rates as in 2019-20 session.

The letter further mentioned that the schools wanted to set the 15th of every month as the date of clearance of pending dues by parents, and that any delay beyond that would result in the student’s name being struck off from the rolls.

However, the schools have also written in the letter that they will show a sympathetic attitude towards parents who are still unable to pay the fees, wholly or partly due to the lockdown. They have suggested in the letter that such parents could submit an application with documentary proof as specified by the school and the Punjab and Haryana high court for their request to be considered.

‘ADMN SHOULD WITHDRAW ORDERS’

The ISA has asked that the Chandigarh administration withdraw its orders regarding fee collection citing them invalid under the Disaster Management Act. The association has also asked that no coercive action be taken against any school for the 2020-21 session in the matter of fee collection.

On the other hand, the Chandigarh education department on Thursday issued a notice to a retired educationist and a retired accountant to process all complaints received against private schools. Officials on the basis of anonymity confirmed that between 100-150 complaints regarding charging of fee under the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act which is in effect in the UT had been received. Director school education Rubinderjit Singh Brar said that he was aware of the letter sent by ISA, but declined to comment on it.

The ISA had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the order issued by UT which directed private schools to reschedule the last date of depositing fee and funds for the 2020-21 session and fix the last date by giving at least a month’s time to the parents after the reopening of the schools.

Private schools were also asked to upload the income expenditure account and balance sheets, but most schools haven’t followed through with that.