While many private schools are charging hefty fees during the pandemic despite the government orders not to do so, a school in Bengaluru has given the option to the parents whether and how much to pay the fee for the academical year.
The ‘pay as you wish’ policy has been adopted by the Freethinking School, a school that follows the Montessori method of education. The school has reportedly allowed the parents of the school to pay fees as per their convenience and capacity. The school has given an opportunity to the parents to acquire admission for their helpers, drivers, and other employees. The school has said that it has the resources to sustain until the year 2021.
The Directress of the Freethinking School, Sandy Philip said,
“In harmony with this spirit of freedom, the program is offered free to frontline Asha workers, nurses, and other COVID warriors. It has been my dream to take Montessori to the masses. My vision was always to make quality education accessible, reachable, and affordable, and this helps me achieve that.”
Schools Overcharging Fee
Vibgyor School in Bengaluru’s Horamavu has been accused of hiking the school fee despite the government order not to hike fee this year.
The school has reportedly sent a circular to all the parents threatening to discontinue their children’s enrollment if they fail to pay the hiked school fee.
However, it is not yet clear if the school has given any concessions to parents who are not being able to pay the fee because of the economic distress caused by the pandemic. Either way, the hike in school fee is against the government circular which is date April 28. The circular issued by the Department of Public Instruction concerning this had asked schools to not increase the fee for the new academic year as there are financial hardships to people because of COVID-19. Otherwise, schools usually hike 15 percent every year. The department had also launched a helpline and complaint window to address the same issue.
Source: Deccan Herald
