Over 200 English schools face closure threat in district

Aurangabad, Jan 20:

More than 200 English schools are likely to be shut down in the district because of the financial crisis.

It may be noted that the State Government asked all the education institute to shut down with the spread of Novel coronavirus across the State in March.

The duration of the lockdown did not end until June when schools are reopened. The school conducted online classes and gave concession in fee as parents were facing financial problems with the COVID spread. However, the school cannot collect fees forcefully from students as per the Government directives. There are more than 800 English schools in the district.

Many schools did not collect fees of last academic year (AY) with the sudden lockdown implementation in March. They have not collected fees of the current academic year, nor Government has given them sanitiser and disinfectant, relaxation in taxes, nor release fees of students admitted under the Right to Education Act (RTE).

Students are admitted on 25 per cent seats reserved in private English schools under the RTE Act. The State Government reimburse their fees. The Government pays only Rs 17,760 for each student even if a school's fees is 50,000 or more. The Education Department refunded 50 per cent of admitted students during the year 2018-19 while for the academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21 nothing was given. The amount is around Rs 18 crores.

Over 200 schools will face closure and many teachers and employees will become jobless if schools do not fee reimbursement from the Government. This will also reduce the number of seats in the admission process.

When contacted Education Officer (Primary), Education Surajprasad Jaiswal was not available for the comment. His juniors in the Education Department told this newspaper that fees of RTE students cannot be reimbursed as the State Government had not released the amount yet.

Commenting on the pending fee of RTE students, general secretary of Maharashtra Rajya Shikshan Sanstha Mandal S P Jawalkar said that as per the norms, the fees should be in three instalments in an AY.

“The schools see bleak future due to facing an economic crisis. Fees cannot be collected forcefully. How can we run the schools, pay the salary of staff, rent and purchase materials required for COVID measures? If the State Government reimburse students' fee, it will help us survive in the crisis,” he said.

Maharashtra English Schools Association (MESA) president Prahlad Shinde said after COVID, there is a big challenge for survival before unaided private English schools because of no fund.

“The Government should reimburse fee under RTE as this will be a relief for running the school until the situation returns to normalcy for schools. Schools have already given concession in fee to parents considering the situation. Parents should pay fee honestly not falling prey to rumours of waiver. Hundreds of teaching and non-teaching staff members will be jobless when schools are shut down because of poor economic condition,” he said.

Secretary of Maharashtra English Schools Trustees Association Manish Hande said that the private schools support the Government by admitting students on reserved seats under RTE.

“The private schools save the Government as they do not get any grant compared to aided schools. Taking into consideration, the Government should provide a fund to the schools to overcome the current crisis. At least, reimburse the pending fee of RTE students,” he asserted.