Telangana: Private Budget schools ready to run online classes for students sans extra fee

Hyderabad: The Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA) has decided to hold online classes for the students of 9,000 budget schools in the State. But, it has decided not to ask parents to pay any additional charges for the online classes and decided to collect only the tuition fee for the the academic year 2020-21.

However, the TRSMA general secretary S N Reddy said the budget private schools in the State have been at odds due to the disruption on the classes during the previous academic year on account of Covid lockdown. As the schools did not function, followed by a State government direction, "We have not collected fees from the parents during the lockdown period."

In turn, this affected the functioning and the very survival of the running of the private budget schools casting a shadow of uncertainty on the schools' management, teaching and non-teaching staff. He said that the schools have been pushed into a financial crisis and the managements are not in a position to pay salaries to their teaching and non-teaching staff. That apart, the schools also have to bear the compulsory monthly expenses like building rents, bank loan installments, maintenance, vehicle EMIs, electricity and water bills, taxes adding up to the woes of the private budget schools.

Given these conditions, the TRSMA asked the State government to come to their aid supporting financially. Because "We cannot force the parents to pay two or quarterly pending fees. They are also facing the financial difficulties and joblessness," he said.

Also, the situation of teachers too turned precarious as they are almost on the verge of starvation. This was despite the teaching staff having worked hard adapting to the new technology to develop content for the students. Yet, the schools are not in a position to pay salaries to the hardworking teaching and non-teaching staff.

Considering all these factors, the TRSMA in a representation to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao sought for financial support to the private budget schools by allocating funds to save tens and thousands of families depends for their livelihoods on these schools. The TRSMA president K Papi Reddy said that we are also seeking the State government to issue guidelines and approve conducting online classes for the students.