Coimbatore: Educational Officer District Head (CEO) N Geetha said he had received complaints from parents about private schools that prevented their ward from attending physical classes, because they failed to complete a delayed cost.
“I have received seven complaints directly on the first day of reopening school.
My office continues to receive such complaints.
We have asked school not to forbid students to attend classes,” he said.
Geetha has also warned of actions against schools if he received a written complaint from parents, because the state government had asked school not to prevent students from attending classes.
A senior official with the CEO office said while some original cases, there were also accidental efforts by parents not to pay fees.
Shows that parents, who have registered three daughters to private schools, have not paid their fees last year, the officer said while the first to pay the first term for the current academic year, he was reluctant to pay a delayed fee.
“I lost a job during a pandemic last year.
While I have managed to work back, it will take the time to organize my finances correctly.
I can pay the first fee of this academic year, but I can’t afford to pay a delayed fee,” said the parent approaching The CEO office is looking for intervention.
The official said school management was not ready to forget the pending costs of the three children.
“We also feel unfair on our side to ask for school to make unreasonable cost relief.” Academics said this problem was mostly faced by schools in the outskirts of the city, while those known in the city with a higher cost structure were able to collect costs, because they were preferred by parents who were able to pay fees.
Acceptance to the first school category, they said, depending on quality teachers.
“To maintain the teacher, schools need to pay more.
Because the costs collected from students are the main sources of their income, schools insist on payment of delayed fees.” DC Elangovan, Secretary General, Federation of Private School Associations in Tamil Nadu, Said the High Court had a few months ago asking for school not to demand the costs of parents, facing financial problems.
“Some parents, who are able to pay fees, also take advantage of the court order.
This has affected school income, which is ready to compromise to a certain extent considering the pandemic situation.
But they will be problematic without collecting costs set by the High Court and state government.
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