Hyderabad School Parents Association seeks govt clarification on academic year

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) sought a clarification from the State Education Department (SED) on the date of commencement of the academic year 2020-21 of the schools and affiliated to the CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE Boards.

The HSPA asked in a letter to Special Chief Secretary Education Chitra Ramachandran, on Saturday, seeking the date of permission given to the said schools to commence the academic year 2020-21.

Citing a circular of the State School Education Department dated August 24, the HSPA said that the circular announced the commencement of the online classes to the students in Telangana from September 1.

The HSPA asked if the said rules apply to the schools registered with Telangana government, but, are following CBSE, IGCSE, ICSE boards curriculum? The HSPA, vice president Seema Agarwal said that the parents are confused due to lack of information on the commencement of the academic year.

Further, the HSPA alleged that the private schools are violating the GO No.46 and collecting the fees without giving breakup, even when asked by parents and representatives' from respective schools.

Instead, schools have resorted to manipulation of fee structures and pressurising the parents' to pay fees for the whole year, apportioned into various installments.

It also questioned the collection of fees for March to August, this year, when the academic year commenced from September 1.

She questioned how can any schools collect fees without the government's declaration of academic years, starting online classes from March, April and May 2020 (during the lockdown period), it asked.