Parents, teachers hail fee waiver in govt schools

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 26

The state government issued a notification last evening that in all government schools in the state, students will not be asked to pay any fee for 2020-21. Though fee in government schools is nominal, the gesture has been appreciated by teachers and parents as people are passing through difficult times.

Surinder Kaur, a senior teacher at Government Senior Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar Camp, here, said the majority of the students in government schools come from poor background.

“But the government is providing books and uniforms free of cost. Though the fee would not be over around Rs 7,000 annually, still at this time of crisis, the state government has given a big relief to the parents. At times, school principals, teachers and other staff collect funds from their own pockets and provide stationary to needy students,” she said.

Harjinder Singh, a factory worker, said his ward was a student of Class IX and he needs a smartphone and Internet for his studies.

“We have limited resources and education of children is also important. Even if fee is about Rs 40-50 a month, it is good that the government has waived it,” he said.

The Education Minister has also announced that schools could not be reopened unless the Covid-19 situation improves. And for this year, the state government has waived the admission fee, tuition fee and readmission fee.