Parents seek waiver of school fees

SHILLONG: The All Meghalaya Schools Parents Association (AMSPA) has sought the state government’s intervention in the indefinite waiver of fees for private schools in view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19.
The association, in a letter to Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, informed the minister that most of the parents are not in the position to pay the school fees at increased or even existing rates.
The association said that few schools in Meghalaya have introduced new fee heads in violation of the directions of the Supreme Court as well as Education department. No fee hike as well as introduction of new fee heads in the current session should be implemented by the schools, the letter said.
The parents also said that the school heads should collect the tuition fee on monthly and not quarterly basis, while avoiding charging building fee from the parents regardless of the school being run on private land or land allotted by the government. AMSPA also said that students, in these times, should be provided with learning materials online. ID and password are to be provided to each student in order to avail the facility. The association also asked the government to ensure that teachers as well as non-teaching staff should not be deprived of their salary. The staff’s existing emolument should also not be reduced, it said.