Fee waiver announced within 24 hours of the announcement of the by-election of 8 assembly seats
The issue, which had been stalled for three months, was resolved as soon as the election was declared
Parents said, given lollipops, this fee waiver is really low
This fee waiver is very low and if we need to go to the High Court, we will go: All Gujarat Guardianship
There is news of relief for parents today. The state cabinet meeting has decided to waive only 25 per cent fee in private schools in the state. Gujarat school administrators are ready for only 25 per cent fee waiver and no fee for other activities. This decision will apply to all boards, including Gujarat, i.e. CBSE. The decision came just 24 hours after the by-polls for eight assembly seats were declared yesterday, amid a controversy over fee waivers for the past three months. However, regarding this decision, the school governing body said that only if the parents pay the fee by October 31, 20% waiver will be given and the parents who pay the fee late will not get this benefit.
The controversy over school fee waivers has been raging for the past three months. A meeting was held on September 24 between the private school administrators and the CM on the matter. The school administrators agreed to waive 25 per cent of the fees. The principals of most of the schools affiliated to the Gujarat Board agreed with the Chief Minister's decision. However, no decision has been taken on whether to grant this fee waiver till the schools are closed or to continue even after the schools are reopened.
We will waive 25% fee only if our conditions are involved after seeing the GR of 25% of the government:
The Board of School Governors has also issued a statement regarding this decision. Manan Choksi, president of the Association of Progressive Schools (AOPS), said the government had proposed a 20 per cent reduction in school fees. In addition, we also introduced that only parents who pay two-quarter fees from April to September, 2020, i.e. by October 31, 2020, will get the benefit of 20 per cent fee waiver and those parents who pay late fees will not get the benefit of this facility. Today the state government has announced a 25 per cent fee waiver instead of our 20 per cent fee waiver. We are waiting for the GR of the government to know the details of the terms and conditions under which this fee waiver will be granted. If our submission is included in the GR, we will implement it.
State Government adds 50% fee waiver by adding 25%: All Gujarat Wali Mandal
In this regard, the president of the All Gujarat Board of Trustees, Naresh Shah, said that the government had not passed any resolution on the fee issue even after 6 months. So we did PIL in the High Court. In PIL we demanded 50 per cent fee, as the fee is waived by deducting the expenses incurred after deducting the salaries of teachers and peons. The state government then called the applicant as per the order of the High Court and we made a written representation in it to waive 50 per cent fee. We don't mind if the school administrators demand 25 per cent, the state government will add another 25 per cent and waive 50 per cent fee. The 25 per cent fee waiver announced by the government today is really low. The state government has an unspent fund of Rs 1,500 crore for 2020-21. If the fee had been waived by deducting 25 per cent from this fund, the parents would have been relieved of the financial constraints. We still have the issue of going to the High Court and if need be we will go to the High Court.
Waiver 50 per cent fees or waive fees till schools actually start: Gujarat Wali Ekta Mandal
while Gujarat Wali Ekta Mandal president Jayesh Patel said that the government's announcement of 25 per cent fee waiver is like a lollipop. The government is making fun of parents by waiving 25 per cent fees. If the government really wants to waive the fees in the interest of the parents, it should order the proper implementation of the resolution waived by the state education department dated 16/7/2020 until the schools actually start or at least 50 per cent of the current year's tuition fees. Sorry. The demand for fee waiver will continue. Surprise programs will be devised in the near future with fee waivers.
The High Court had directed the government to take an independent decision to reduce school fees
. During the hearing, the High Court said that the state government has the power to decide on the fees. The High Court, while disposing of the petition, asked the government to take a fair decision in its own way and issue a circular on the fees.
The school administrators were not ready to waive the fees or bow
down. In three to four meetings held by the government with the administrators, the school principals were not ready to bow down at all, the government had submitted in court. The government, in its application to the High Court, had submitted that a meeting has been held with the administrators in the fee case to find a middle ground twice. The government had offered to waive 25 per cent of the students ’fees, which the administrators refused.
