LUCKNOW: An English medium school in Munshipulia area of Lucknow announced results of its internal quarterly exams (unit test II) this week. While all the students could access their score card, Fauzia wasn’t allowed to do so.
A student of class 12, Fauzia, 18, lost her father to Covid and her family took a loan of Rs 12,000 to pay her fees for April and May. However, with her school fee pending since June, the school refused to share her marks. “She has been served a notice stating that her access to student-teacher WhatsApp group for online classes 11 will be blocked if the fees is not paid,” said her elder sister.
“Our father’s death has left us in deep financial instability. We were hoping that at least the school will consider our plea on mercy ground but in vain. My sister, who wants to be a doctor, is now under depression,” said her elder sister.
Nine-year-old Vibha, a student of class 4, had to drop out of her convent school in Rajajipuram after her mother failed to pay the school fee. Vibha’s father succumbed to corona infection during the second wave. Later, thanks to the efforts of her uncle, another convent school in the neighbourhood offered to waive 60% of the school fee.
In the case of six-year-old Alia, an eminent school, which has several branches in the city, struck off the kid’s name as her mother failed to pay the fee after her husband’s death due to corona. For students like Fauzia, Vibha and Alia, a ray of hope has come in the form of the Centre government’s submission in the Supreme Court that the state government should shoulder the burden of the fee if the private schools are unwilling to waive off the fee.
Speaking to TOI, lawyer Vaibhav Pandey, who practices in Allahabad high court’s Lucknow bench said, “Aishwarya Bhati, the additional solicitor general told the Supreme Court that for children who have lost either parent or both parents after March 2020, the state governments shall ask private schools to waive the fee of the distressed children for the current academic year. In case, the private institutions are unwilling to effectuate such waiver, the state governments shall shoulder the burden of the fee.”
“The apex court has sought response from the state governments on the next hearing on September 7,” he added.
Manoj Rai, chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Woman and Child Development department, said, “Currently, UP is offering free education as well as financial aid to Covid orphans at government run schools. Over 5,000 kids have been funded by the state government. Further, we have also directed the district magistrates to communicate with private schools in order to waive off fees of such students but only few schools have come up to extend help.”
“Private schools claim that they have slashed the fee of such students to half or have waived off the fee but in reality not every school has done that. We have a list of Covid orphans who were forced to leave the school after they failed to pay the fee,” said Sangeeta Sharma, former member of Lucknow child welfare committee.
(All names of the students have been changed)
