The Hill District Private School Association has cautioned the state government that exemption of tuition fees for students from April to July may result in closure of many private schools in the state rather than imparting education to the students.
Objecting to the state government's order which directed the private and aided schools to exempt tuition fees of the students, the association questioned how private schools authorities will manage to run the school if the government order is implemented.
The association termed the government order as one sided, not practicable and appealed the state government to review its order at the earliest.
It may be mentioned that Commissioner, Education(s), T Ranjit Singh on June 20 directed the private and aided schools to exempt tuition fees for students for the month of April to July and to pay the salaries of the teacher and non-teaching staff based on the number of students enrolled.
The order instructed schools with enrollment less than 200 students to pay 50 percent of salaries to teachers and non teaching staff (payment may be made after the lockdown is over). It instructed schools with enrolment of 200 to 700 to pay 50 percent of salaries for teachers and non teaching staff and full payment of teachers and non teaching staff for school with enrolment above 700.
Briefing the media at Kuki Inn Imphal on Wednesday, president of Hill Districts Private Schools Association Alex Khayi said the schools are managed and run from the fees collected from the students. Even during the lockdown, the teaching and learning process was conducted regularly through different online applications like WhatsApp, Zoom and others.
Appealing to the state government to review its order at the earliest which all the stakeholders will agree , Alex also said that categorizing the private schools which are equally recognised under one rule by the government is not acceptable.
He further said that the state government and the public should consider the contributions of private schools in the State and suggest better ways to take forward the learning process during the prevailing situation in the State.
A member of Hill District Private School Association, Ashili Khasipri said that only a few private schools in the State will be able to comply with the said government order. However, he also added that almost 100 percent of schools in the hill districts will not be able to comply with the order.
The order may in turn force the private schools to close down the schools rather than imparting education to the students, he said. If the schools are closed, the staff will remain unemployed and the students will be forced to look for another school.
