Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Abhibhaavak Mahasangha welcomed Wednesday the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) advisory to waive school fees for students.
NCPCR in a letter to all secretaries, School & Mass Education Department of all States/UTs and to all state Chairperson of Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) said that it has been receiving complaints from parents as well as parents’ organisations regarding the issue directly or indirectly linked to fees charged by the private educational institutions.
These complaints/representations include issues such as discontinuation of education (offline/online) to children due to non-payment of fees; schools charging hiked fee without following adequate procedures; striking off names of the children; demand for fee waiver during lockdown. The NCPCR in the letter said such incidents can add to stress among students, especially under the current circumstances.
The Commission reaffirmed its earlier recommendation dated 12.02.2018, that no child should be harassed/neglected/discriminated due to any non-agreement or conflict between parents and the school or other educational institution catering to children till the age of 18 years. The body said such disagreements should be addressed only between the parents and the educational institution without involving the child in any manner.
Though many States/UTs have already set up fee regulatory system for deciding on the fee charged by the private school/educational institution, the system coupled with effective grievance redressal mechanism shall be helpful in addressing the core of such grievances.