The Corona pandemic has made a global impact in the past months and continues to hit most of the sectors, with education being one of the most affected ones. The situation has forced the schools to shut down much before the lockdown announced by the government. The education sector in India is rapidly evolving with most schools and institutions coming up with the idea of online classes for students to start their respective academic years, instead of wasting time due to the delay in reopening of schools. India's school-age population of around 300 million is suddenly having to home educate. The technological inroads are also what keeps the field bubbling in the private education sector in India with an estimated 350,000 schools and 8.7 million teachers.

The schools have taken their responsibility to continuously keep their students engaged in academics and other activities very seriously. They did not lose any time in evolving and gearing up to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic and consequent lockdown. The schools and the teachers have put in their best efforts to ensure a safe, continuous and highly interactive mode of teaching through the online classes and have been successful in this endeavour. The students are today getting educated from the safety and comfort of their homes. Even the parents are now able to monitor the education of their children. Most of the parents acknowledge this herculean effort made by the schools but sadly there are some who do not realise or recognise the good efforts of the schools to ensure a continuous upgrading of the knowledge base of the students. They have no idea of the hard work put in by the teachers to plan classes, prepare and master technology needed for the classes, set up an adequate working environment, innovate and encourage maximum participation, motivate the students and keep regular communication with them, and last but not the least, be available all the time to help them with their problems.

All these good efforts by the schools are hurt by the illogical demand of some parents to exempt the fees during lockdown period. They fail to realise that just like them, the school and its staff also needs finances to continue operating even in such adverse conditions. The schools have not shirked from their duties towards the students; parents also need to do their part. It is incumbent, on every member of the populace, to be aware that a joint, cohesive and concerted effort, alone, can result in success in this struggle. This would involve certain sacrifices which each one of us has to make. We cannot afford, in such a situation, to balk at inconveniences. Even the honourable Delhi High Court has pointed out – “"We unhesitatingly place, on record, our wholehearted appreciation, of the efforts of teachers, and schools, towards this end. So long as schools are disseminating education online, they are certainly entitled to charge tuition fees. Rather, the expenditure involved in disseminating education online may, conceivably, be much greater than that involved in classroom teaching. Providing e-education is no child's play." Unaided schools, which receive no funds from the government, are entirely dependent on fees, to defray their daily expenses. The requirement of payment of tuition fees is necessary for the simple reason that tuition fees cover salary, establishments and curricular activities, the expenditure which continues to be incurred by schools, even during the period of lockdown, and before they are able to resume normal work.

The educational process needs to go on unhindered to ensure that our beloved children are in regular touch with their academics. This is possible only when parents come forward and do their bit by paying the fee in full. There is no surety about when the world will be rid of the COVID threat, hence we need to adapt to the required changes physically, mentally and emotionally. We need to accept that online education is the need of the hour and will remain an important part of the educational system in future too. 

Principal
Dr. (Mrs.) Ritu Dewan