<p>As digital transactions and cashless payments receive a push, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed affiliated schools to collect fee from students only through online payment or non-cash mode, starting from January 2017. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The CBSE has also reiterated that salary payments must be made via bank transfers. <br />Schools in Bengaluru are prepared for the move saying that most of their transactions were already cashless. <br /><br />“We were accepting fee payment in both cash and cheque but post-demonetisation, we have been asking parents to pay by cheque and through RTGS,” said Radha N, coordinator for Metropolitan Central School on Cunningham Road. <br /><br />The school, which used to collect 60% of fee payments through cheques, has now increased it to 80% in the past month. From the next academic year, they intend to obtain Point of Sale (PoS) machines for card payments.<br /><br />However, they may not be able to get online payments running in the stipulated time. <br />“It is a good move and will reduce the rush at schools. But, it is not practical to expect online payment gateways to be ready by January 2017,” said Mansoor Ali Khan, secretary, Management of Independent CBSE Schools Association (MICSA). <br /><br />Schools have placed requests for PoS machines. But, banks are unable to meet the growing demand for these machines. So, it could take a few months for schools to procure these machines. Setting up of online payment gateways for credit and debit card transactions and net banking will also take up to three months. <br /><br />According to Khan, low-budget schools, especially in rural areas, have majority of cash transactions and switching to cashless mode could take longer unlike city schools where cheques and challans are the preferred modes.<br /><br />Parents, however, are doubtful about the effectiveness of this move. <br /><br />Kumar, parent of a Class 2 student in Machohalli on Magadi Road said: “Schools are not open to accepting non-cash payments because then the money would be accounted for. My daughter’s school insists that we pay by cash every year.” <br /><br />Going against the rules, schools also demand donations in the beginning of the academic year. <br /><br />“They take the amount in cash and do not even give a receipt of acknowledgement. These donations will still continue outside the purview of the directive,” another parent <br />said. <br /> </p>
<p>As digital transactions and cashless payments receive a push, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed affiliated schools to collect fee from students only through online payment or non-cash mode, starting from January 2017. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The CBSE has also reiterated that salary payments must be made via bank transfers. <br />Schools in Bengaluru are prepared for the move saying that most of their transactions were already cashless. <br /><br />“We were accepting fee payment in both cash and cheque but post-demonetisation, we have been asking parents to pay by cheque and through RTGS,” said Radha N, coordinator for Metropolitan Central School on Cunningham Road. <br /><br />The school, which used to collect 60% of fee payments through cheques, has now increased it to 80% in the past month. From the next academic year, they intend to obtain Point of Sale (PoS) machines for card payments.<br /><br />However, they may not be able to get online payments running in the stipulated time. <br />“It is a good move and will reduce the rush at schools. But, it is not practical to expect online payment gateways to be ready by January 2017,” said Mansoor Ali Khan, secretary, Management of Independent CBSE Schools Association (MICSA). <br /><br />Schools have placed requests for PoS machines. But, banks are unable to meet the growing demand for these machines. So, it could take a few months for schools to procure these machines. Setting up of online payment gateways for credit and debit card transactions and net banking will also take up to three months. <br /><br />According to Khan, low-budget schools, especially in rural areas, have majority of cash transactions and switching to cashless mode could take longer unlike city schools where cheques and challans are the preferred modes.<br /><br />Parents, however, are doubtful about the effectiveness of this move. <br /><br />Kumar, parent of a Class 2 student in Machohalli on Magadi Road said: “Schools are not open to accepting non-cash payments because then the money would be accounted for. My daughter’s school insists that we pay by cash every year.” <br /><br />Going against the rules, schools also demand donations in the beginning of the academic year. <br /><br />“They take the amount in cash and do not even give a receipt of acknowledgement. These donations will still continue outside the purview of the directive,” another parent <br />said. <br /> </p>
