Gujarat education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Monday, September 29, 2020, said that self-financed schools have agreed to cut 25 percent tuition fees for the period from June 2020 to March 2021. This will bring respite to more than 30 lakh students at 20,000 schools in the state. He added that the schools will not levy additional charges including transport fees. He also said that schools will have to adjust their fees in the coming months if parents have paid full fees from June.

The authorities of various self-financed schools had earlier agreed to the state government’s proposal to cut tuition fees by 25 percent for the 2020-21 academic year. The decision was finalised during a recent meeting between education minister Chudasama and representatives of various schools last week.

The school authorities initially proposed a 20 percent fee cut for parents who are unable to pay the fees due to Covid-19, but this offer was rejected by the government. The govt remained firm on its demand for a 25 percent fee cut for all school students to which school trustees finally agreed, as per sources.

In a meeting between Chudasama and associations of parents of school students, many members demanded a 50 percent fee cut. The association members had earlier demanded a full waiver of school fees for 2020-21.

All Gujarat Vali Mandal has been of the view that the government should consider mass promotion of students from playgroup to Class VIII for the academic year 2020-2021.

Schools in the state have been closed for more than 180 days due to the coronavirus pandemic and only 40% of students have been able to attend online classes, the association wrote to the chief minister recently.

Source: Times of India

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