Bhubaneswar: The Organisation of Parents’ Association Forum (OPAF) and Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan (OSAA) have criticised the Odisha government for submitting a MoU to the Odisha High Court a few days back. The MoU is regarding the waiver of school fees. In a joint statement, the OPAF and OSAA said Saturday that the MoU has been illegally signed ignoring the demands the two groups had.
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In the statement, the two organisations have said the Orissa High Court had earlier asked the state government September 1 to form a committee. The panel would be made up of government officials, school authorities and parents. The committee would look into the issues related to the waiver of school fees of private institutions due to the outbreak of COVID-19. It should be stated here that schools have remained closed in Odisha since March.
OPAF and OSAA alleged that the government has ignored the orders of high court. They alleged that the government has signed the MoU with some parents with vested interest and submitted it in the court September 24. They said most of the parents were in the dark about this development.
Even as the fees of private schools collecting over Rs 6,000 in a year have been reduced to 7.5%, there is a reduction of 26% in the fees for private schools collecting over Rs 1,00,000, the two groups said in the statement.
“We fail to understand, on what basis the new fees structure has been decided. Parents who have admitted their wards in private schools for education and paying monthly fees of around Rs 500, would face the worst ever situation,” some members of the two interest groups pointed out.
Justification of collection of 70% hostel as well as transportation fees from parents, when their wards stay at home owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, have also been questioned by OPAF and OSAA.
PNN
