The Jharkhand Unaided Private Schools and Educational Institutions, an umbrella outfit of private English-medium schools in Jamshedpur, made it clear on Saturday that fee waiver wasn't an option, even as an ICSE school, DSM School for Excellence in Kashidih, announced fee waiver for a month on Friday.

As news of the Kashidih school spread, parents across the city started expecting other schools to follow suit in view of the lockdown that has drastically slashed the incomes of many families, including small-time traders and parents working in unregulated sectors and private firms, whose salaries are uncertain.

Last week, state education minister Jagarnath Mahto had requested private schools to waive off two month’s fees as schools are closed due to the lockdown.

But private school managing committee members replied that online classes were fully functional.

As teachers are working hard to prepare and upload study materials and interacting live, they need to be paid their salaries that are drawn from school fees, the members had said.

On Saturday, president of Jharkhand Unaided Private Schools and Educational Institutions Bailey Bodhanwala told The Telegraph: “Fee waiver for two months is impossible as a major share of salaries and liabilities is taken care of from that sum. Also teachers are working equally hard to teach in virtual classrooms and students are responding well. It is just that they are not operating out of school premises.”

Bodhanwala, who is also a well-known social worker, added: “In case some parents are facing a genuine financial problem, we can think of giving them some time or deferring the fee date, but waiver isn’t an option.”

Most of the private schools in the city are already conducting online classes using various online educational platforms.

Schools like Dayanand Public School, Kashidih High School, Jusco School (South Park), Kerala Samajam Model School, Tarapore School (Agrico), Kerala Public School (NML), Narbheram Hansraj English School, Kerala Public School (Burmamines), Gulmohur High School, AIWC Academy of Excellence, Hill Top School and others have already created WhatsApp groups or mobile apps or are uploading assignments and videos on school websites.

Many teachers are interacting live with their students at a designated time of the day.