Bhubaneswar: In a letter to the Governor Ganeshi Lal Friday, Odisha Parents’ Federation demanded waiver of school fees of all students in view of the closure of all educational institutions due to coronavirus-induced lockdowns in the state.
In the letter, many stated that they have lost their livelihood during the lockdowns imposed by the government due to the pandemic. Amid such a scenario, the reopening of schools is still in doubt.
“We are a panicked lot. Our primary concern is to keep our family safe. It is difficult to make ends meet without work. Our lifetime savings are already spent during this difficult situation. We don’t have funds to manage our family in this position,” the letter read.
“In such times, we received calls from the management of every school to pay school dues without any classroom teaching. They are threatening us of removing our kids from the school if dues are not paid in time. We have requested and wrote letters to the state government many times but officials remain silent due to their nexus with private schools,” it added.
“Amid such a grim scenario, we request you to kindly instruct the state government to issue an order to protect parents and students alike. There should be a ‘No Schools No fee’ order,” it said.
Badrinath Patnaik, President, Confederation of Odisha Public School, said, “The parents should respond in a proactive manner and pay fees of their ward irrespective of whether the school is offering online education or not and not ask for actual expenses incurred for the lockdown period.”