Karnataka: Fee cut order not applicable this year, say private schools

The private unaided schools in the state have clarified to parents that the fee cut order issued by the government last year will not be applicable this year.

As the government notifies to start admission process for the 2021-22 academic year from June 15, the Karnataka private school managements, teaching and non-teaching staff coordination committee has clarified that the fee cut order will not be applicable for admissions during this academic year.

The committee held a meeting here on Sunday. Addressing the media after the meeting, convener of the committee D Shashi Kumar said, “junior officials are misguiding the media and parents with respect to the fees. We would like to clarify that the fees cut order issued last year is not applicable this year. “

“The fees that we are charging this year is what we were charging before the 2019-20 academic year. Most schools have not hiked the fees for 2020-21 and 2021-22,” he
said.

The committee has demanded that the government clarify to parents about the fees and direct them to pay the same. It should also make attendance mandatory, even if it is online classes.

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“We urge the government to ask parents to the clear fees dues as not all of them are suffering financial losses,” he said.

According to the committee, except for a few, most schools (specially budget/average schools) are facing low admissions.

“Even after requests made to parents to confirm the continuation, many students have not turned up,” said the committee members.

“We want to tell the government that we cannot offer any more fee discount. The government can provide financial aid directly to parents, instead of making us suffer. As most schools are already under loss due to the Covid situation, we made it clear that no fee discounts will be offered,” the members said.

In 2020-2021, the government had issued an order directing schools to collect only 70 per cent of the tuition fee charged during 2019-20. It was mentioned in the order that it was applicable only for 2020-21. The order has challenged by the private schools in the High Court.

Reacting to the decision by the private schools, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said that the government would take a decision within the framework of law.