The Karnataka State Private Schools Parents’ association (a collective of various parents associations) has asked the state government to commence in-person classes in budget private schools in rural areas and government schools across the state where the total student strength does not exceed 50. 

This comes after chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday announced that professional and degree colleges across the state would be reopened in a phased manner. 

B N Yogananda, of the RTE Students and Parents Association, said, “This will help students access better education and with such small numbers, social distancing can be maintained.”

The association has also written to primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar seeking government intervention in ensuring that schools follow the government directive on fee cut.

“The government, on January 29 had asked parents to pay 70 % of the fee for the academic year. This has been a difficult year for many due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While some have been pushed to the brink of a financial crisis because of hospitalization, some parents have suffered job losses and pay cuts. Despite this, citing that the matter is in court, some private schools are continuing to fleece money from parents,” said Yogananda

Parents associations have asked the government to constitute a fee regulation committee at the earliest. The state government on June 23 had proposed the setting up of a high-level fee regulation committee headed by a retired high court judge. The government has sought permission from the high court to set up the committee. The next hearing by a single bench of justice Sachin Shankar Magadum is likely to be on June 29.

The parents’ association has asked the government to pass an order directing private schools to collect only tuition fees (no additional fee for sports, extracurricular activities) for this academic year. 

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