Avneet Kaur
Jalandhar, July 16
The state government’s decision to waive the fee of students studying in unaided schools, who had lost their father or the sole breadwinner of the family, has come to a nought.
According to the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2019, if the father or earning member of a student’s family dies, he or she shall not be compelled to leave school on account of non-payment of fee and won’t be charged till the completion of studies.
Although the law was implemented, the government and the Education Department failed to check whether such students were receiving the waiver or not.
As per sources, almost all private schools in the state are charging full fee from such students notwithstanding the fee regulation Act. Besides, neither the district education department nor the private schools have any statistics on the students, who lost their father or the only support for the house.
Gagandeep Kaur, a resident of Ramneek Avenue here, who lost her husband to a liver disease in January this year, said she recently got her daughter enrolled in Class I in a private school in the district. “I asked for a fee concession citing my financial situation and husband’s death, but the school refused to provide any relief and I was forced to pay the entire fee,” she added.
Moreover, in the absence of any check by the Education Department, even those children who were orphaned during the second wave of Covid-19 or lost their one parent, they too received no help from the administration and are forced to pay full fee.
Kamaljot Kaur (name changed), another resident, said: “I lost my husband to Covid last year and I am struggling to pay fee of my two children. But due to societal and in-laws’ pressure, I am not even able to seek help from any NGO. I have tried to get their school fee waived, but both school and district administration were of no help.”
Ajay Bharti, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), said a list of children orphaned during the pandemic and those who lost one parent has been sent to the Education Department for a fee waiver.
On being asked, if their office has any list of students who lost their bread-earning member due to other reasons, the DCPO replied that no such student or their guardian have ever approached the office, therefore, there is no list of any such students available.
Meanwhile, Rajiv Joshi, Deputy District Education Officer, Secondary, said: “As per the Act, no schools in the district can charge fee from students who have lost the earning member of the family. The district education department is taking all measures to help such students and make them aware of their rights. We will get it checked and ask the schools to prepare a list of such students and share it with the DEO office at the earliest.”
Amit Sareen, chairman of district regulatory body for unaided educational institutes, said: “I will call a meeting of the body with the MDs of private schools. They will be given strict instructions to waive fee of such students and if they fail to do so, a strict action as per the Act will be taken against them.”
63 lost one parent to Covid in Jalandhar
As per the data procured from the District Child Protection Officer, Jalandhar, the second wave of Covid left three children orphaned, while 63 other children lost one parent. However, only a few students among these have been receiving financial aid from the government in the form of monthly pension etc, but are forced to pay full fee to private schools. Many students have reportedly also shifted to government schools due to the financial crisis at their respective homes.
Fee regulation Act of Punjab fails to deliver
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