Delay in collecting fees: Unable to pay staff, say private schools in Tamil Nadu

TNN | Apr 6, 2020, 04.03 AM IST

CHENNAI: A majority of private schools claim they are not in a position to pay salaries to their teaching and non-teaching staff for March, following the state government’s order not to collect fees from parents due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

More than one lakh teachers and non-teaching staff work in more than 12,000 private schools in Tamil Nadu. While some schools collect fees term wise, many schools collect fees monthly based on the economic condition of their students’ parents. Such schools were caught unawares due to the sudden closure of educational institutions to contain the spread of Covid-19 last month.

“More than 50% of students are yet to pay term fees and monthly fees. The sudden closure announced by the state government came as a rude shock to them,” said N Vijayan, patron of Kancheepuram District Self-Financing Private Schools Association.

“We understand the situation and respect the government’s order to not collect fees. But naks are hesitating to give us soft loans for three months. Either the state government or Centre should direct banks to give short-time loans to schools,” he added.

K R Nandakumar, state secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary and Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools Association, said financial stress on private schools would be eased if the state government released the reimbursement for RTE admissions immediately. “State government owes several hundred crores for RTE admissions made in 2018-19, 2019-20,” Nandakumar said.

Officials from the school education department said private schools have to keep a month’s salary for their staff in bank accounts and that it was a condition for affiliation. “The state government has released Rs 248 crore as reimbursement for RTE admissions for 2018-19 and it will reach schools shortly,” an official said.