A section of private schools in Jharkhand have demanded permission for opening of institutions with 50 per cent students
from January 16 citing problem in fees collection during the Covid pandemic.

The private school representatives under the banner of a loosely formed organisation Jharkhand Non-Government School Association wrote to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and education minister Jagarnath Mahato on Tuesday informing them about their financial problem because of non-payment of fees by students during online classes and have also threatened to stop online classes in future.

“We have intimated our concern to the chief minister and the state education minister and requested that from January 16, the government should consider opening of schools with 50 per cent students attendance with all Covid appropriate behaviour. We understand that Covid cases are rising in the state but the government should consider our situation too.

“Otherwise, we would be compelled to stop online classes from January 16,” said the association’s president Mohammed Tahir Hussain.

Incidentally, Hemant-led government had on January 3 directed for closure of educational institutions while giving permission for only administrative activities in the institutions with 50 per cent attendance to contain surge of Covid.

The association president informed that a meeting of private school’s representatives was held at a private school in Jamshedpur on Monday.

“It was discussed that the government was ignoring the plight of the school during all lockdowns and restrictions owing to the pandemic. We had seen it in 2020, 2021 and even in 2022, while the government eases restrictions on bars, restaurants, shops, markets and even liquor shops during lockdowns it is the school that has to be closed all the time,” argued Hussain.

The members of the association claimed that the government is not concerned about the operation of private schools in the state.

“They give permission for shops, markets and even cinema halls to open but only close down schools. The government is not at all concerned as to how the school will arrange funds for payments to teachers. This despite the fact that private schools shoulder the main responsibility of education in Jharkhand,” added Hussain.

They warned that several teachers are on the brink of starvation.

“If any teacher takes the drastic step of committing suicide then it would be the government’s responsibility. We will not run online classes if schools are not allowed with 50 per cent attendance,” said Hussain.

Nearly 20,000 private schools operate in Jharkhand providing education till the intermediate level.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the state registered 4,482 new Covid cases and two deaths, taking the total number of
active cases to 26,019. Jharkhand has a very high doubling rate of 0.93 per cent as against national average of 0.28 per cent and a doubling rate of only 74.50 days as against the national average of 246.39 days.