Mahendragarh: Some private schools in Narnaul are learnt to have asked their teachers to collect fees from students’ homes in order to get their dues cleared here in Haryana. The schools, reportedly, are unable to pay the salaries to the staff owing to COVID-19 lockdown.
The teachers visit students’ homes on the pretext of checking homework even as the number of COVID-19 cases rising with each passing day in the district.
Some parents took snaps while paying the fees as a proof and few such photos have gone viral on social media.
An advocate, whose grandson studies at a prominent school in Narnaul, says a female teacher came to the doorstep and requested to pay the pending fees. “I gave her Rs 5,400. What could have we done when the school authorities reached our doorstep and asked for money?” he said.
According to another parent whose relative is a teacher in a reputed school of the area confirmed that management has categorically told the teachers to collect fees from students’ homes to get their pending dues cleared.
The president of Progressive Private Schools Association in Narnaul, Anil Kaushik also confirmed news.
“Teachers visiting students at their houses for fee is not only setting a wrong precedent, but also poses risk of COVID spread. The schools promoting such a practice must mend their ways,” Kaushik said.
A school owner, though, justified the method saying they have also been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Forget profit, we have been struggling to pay salaries to our staff. Whatever savings we had have been exhausted. The government expects us to clear salaries, but turns a deaf ear when we appeal for relaxation in taxes and bills,” the owner said.