Indore:
Private schools forcing parents to give consent for offline examination, shutting down online classes and further, denying online classes to force students to pay fees. Raising these issues against St Paul's Higher Secondary School, a group of parents reached out to local administration on Saturday seeking help.
Parents reached district education office and waited to meet the district education officer (DEO). When they couldn’t meet DEO, they handed over a memorandum quoting their problems to ADPC (additional district project coordinator) Narendra Jain.
Parents said that examinations should be conducted in both online and offline mode. They said that parents who do not wish to send their children to school amid the pandemic should be allowed to appear for exams in the online mode.
Jain guided parents and said, “DEO cannot pressurise central board of secondary education (CBSE) affiliated schools as we are not involved in their affiliation.”
Further, as per suggestion, parents approached joint director Sanjay Goyal seeking help and intervention in the problem. The administration will be investigating in the matter, as parents could not meet Goyal.
Forcefully seeking consent, no option for online revision test
“St Paul's HS School is forcing parents to send class 9 to 12 students for revision test to school without theoption of online test, as prescribed by the govt,” Pankaj Mehta, parent representative, said. He added that school is not giving the option of online classes or tests.
“Many parents are unwilling to take the risk for their child, but the school refuses to consider it, only focusing on fee collection,” Mehta said. He added that in a meeting they told the school principal the same thing.
“It’s just a revision test, maximum parents do not want it to be offline, so why is the school forcing us… just for fees!” Mehta said.
“Determine the appropriate fees for the online class. Currently, the fees that are being sought by the schools are being sought according to the physical class study, which is unfair. A case regarding the same is pending at Supreme Court (SC),” said Mehta. He added that waiting for judgment, some parents have not paid fees, but school is finding other ways to pressurise them.
Due financial constraint and economic slowdown, some parents are unable to pay the fees. In such cases, schools are pressurising parents by striking the child’s name and removing them from online classes, Mehta added.
St Paul's School’s take
“This is to inform you that the school has not forced any student to come to the school, without the consent of the parents.
The school has given so far an offline and online platform for exams and classes as well for classes IX to XII with the consent of the parents. Practicals are conducted in the school and students with the consent of their parents are expected to attend the practicals.
With regard to the fees, we are allowing all the students to attend the exams even if they have not paid the fees. Only messages are sent to parents reminding them to pay fees. The school has given relief on the tuition fees amounting to 20% for all the parents.”
Fr Siby Joseph
School principal
St Arnold’s School, Vijay Nagar
A group of parents had also reached St Arnold’s School to demand fee relief. In reply to their demands, Fr. Pious Cyriac, SVD said, “Around 9.30 a.m., a group of parents of St. Arnold’s School, Vijay Nagar, Indore gathered in the school campus and demanded that the School Management should further reduce the current tuition fee to 50%. The school has already waived off fees collected under the development and other charges head.”
He added that the school management denied the request of the parents in view of the latest order of the High Court and also the order of the Madhya Pradesh State Education Department.
“As per the HC’s decision, the school is charging only the tuition fee from the parents,” Cyriac added.
Meantime, on the call of the school management, officials from the local state education department and tehsildar from SDM office, Indore were present during the incident.
