News Analysis India

Tag: Uttar Pradesh schools

  • UP govt bans any hike in school fees for academic year 2021-2022

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has banned any increase in school fees across all the boards for the upcoming academic session (2021-2022) owing to the coronavirus pandemic situation, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said on Thursday.

    Sharma, who also holds the portfolio of Secondary Education department, in a statement said many families are affected economically due to the COVID-19 second wave and schools are physically closed while online classes are going on.

    “Keeping this in mind, the government has taken a balanced decision so that the common man does no have to bear extra load and also schools could provide salaries to teachers and other staff,” he said.

    The Deputy CM said schools can take fees in accordance with the arrangements they had for the 2019-20 session as the fees was not hiked last year also due to the similar situation during the first wave.

    “Those who have taken hiked fees in this academic session should adjust it in future and also no transportation fees should be charged for the days that the schools are closed,” he ordered.

    Sharma also said if parents are not able to pay three months advance fees, they should be given an option to pay monthly and should not be forced to pay in one instalment itself.

    He said activities like computer, sports, science laboratory, library, annual function related fees should also not be charged on the students.

    “If the parents of a student are suffering from COVID-19, their current month’s fees could be adjusted in the next month’s fees on their written request,” Sharma said.

    Schools should regularly make payments to teachers and their staff, he further said.

  • UP closes all schools for students up to Class 8 till April 11 amid Covid surge

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to close all government and private schools up to Class VIII till April 11.

    As per the sources, the managements of about 200 unaided primary schools have decided to go back to the online mode of classes when the schools reopen on April 11. The decision comes amid the spike in Covid cases in the state. 

    “It is not easy to enforce COVID protocol with tiny tots as the situation seemingly is getting alarming in the wake of an unprecedented surge in the cases of COVID -19 cases. The current situation is a grim reminder of scenario in March-April last year when the deadly virus had struck and the schools were declared closed after the virus spread in epidemic from across the state.,” said a senior office-bearer of the association of unaided primary schools.

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    The decision to close the schools up to Class VIII was taken after CM Yogi reviewed the Covid situation in the state with his Team 11 on Friday morning. However, the Government Order (GO) mentions that during the period of closure, the school teachers and other staff would have to come to school. CM Yogi also issued directives to the Chief Secretary and other authorities concerned that Covid protocol should strictly be adhered to while conducting the classes for students of standard 9 to 12. 

    Meanwhile, Lucknow Unaided Private Schools Association announced the closure of all private and missionary schools from Class 1 to Class 12 till April 11. This decision would be applicable to all schools in Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Varanasi, and Lakhimpur Kheri districts.

    Unaided Private School Association president Ail Agarwal confirmed the decision to keep the private schools closed till April 11. All the teaching will takeplace through online classes. Only teachers would have to come to schools to complete the unfinished work related to board exams, Agarwal added.