Many parents who are yet to take both shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, and hence unable to send their children to school, are up in arms against managements over the payment of fees. While principals and teachers said they are mandated to follow the government’s rules, parents are demanding that fees should be refunded if their children cannot attend offline classes.
Parimala S., whose daughter studies in Class V in a private school, is yet to get her second shot of the vaccine. “We were unable to pay the fees as we had a lot of financial difficulties owing to COVID 19. But the school forced us to pay up when offline classes resumed. Now, they have said that my child cannot attend class till I complete my vaccination. They should refund the fees for the duration my daughter misses her classes,” she said.
Mullahalli Suri, president of parents’ association, said that school managements should consider requests from parents on humanitarian grounds and reimburse fees for students who are unable to attend classes because their parents have not been vaccinated.
“This is a peculiar situation and school managements need to cooperate with parents in the interest of their students,” he said.
School managements, however, said their hands were tied. “Parents are violating their child’s right to education if they do not get vaccinated. Parents should be worried about the continuity in their child’s education rather than only worrying about the fees,” said D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka.
Other school managements pointed out that though children stopped coming for offline classes, they were making alternative arrangements and were sending assignments to students. “Because they are not attending offline classes does not mean we have stopped their education. This is an unnecessary tactic by parents who want their fees refunded,” said a private school management member.
