COVID-19: Private Schools in Odisha Defer Fees

Bhubaneswar: After Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed for reduction and deferment of school fees at private educational institutions due to economic hardship caused by COVID-19 lockdown, the private schools in the State have decided to extend the dates for paying school fees of the students.

The All Odisha Private School Association (AOPSA) took a decision in this regard at a meeting among its state-level members here on Sunday, according to reports.

The AOPSA has decided to provide an option to parents to pay school fees of three months (April, May and June) by end of June after opening up of schools without fine.

The step has been taken as there may be a problem in the salary of the parents or there might be financial crisis due to business being shut down, the association said.

However, the association said that the waiver of fees of private schools is not possible as the school authorities are under extreme pressure to bear monthly salaries of employees.

Notably, the Odisha CM had earlier advised all private educational institutions in the state to consider reducing and deferring school fees from April to June in view of the lockdown which has been imposed in the state owing to coronavirus outbreak.