Private schools in Bengaluru urge parents to admit their wards to school and give some more time to pay fees

Private schools will continue with online classes after December 20, as stopping classes altogether is not possible, Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of English Medium Schools in Karnataka, said here on Friday.

He said that many parents had already paid fees, and those who haven't enrolled so far, have been asked to do so by the education department. The association has also asked schools to inform parents to pay minimum fees and admit their wards, or it will be considered unlawful.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar had recently urged parents to compulsorily admit their wards, which comes as a boost to many schools which are yet to receive fees for admitting existing students.

Kumar said that students who have not paid fees, however, would be given some more time as the government has made admission mandatory.

Meanwhile, schools are still waiting for clear SOPs from the State government on the revised Vidyagama programme. The government, in its recent announcement, allowed even private unaided schools to implement Vidyagama, by holding classes for a small group of children in the playground.

School managements say that this remains unfeasible, especially for budget schools. One of the hurdles is student strength -- schools with few students may be able to implement the programme better. Another drawback is that private schools in urban areas provide transportation for students, and with multiple shifts, this problem becomes amplified.

Kumar told that the association has already proposed three feasible models of classes that schools can adopt according to their convenience: Alternate days, Shift system, and Online/ Offline classes.