The ICSE council has advised its schools in Bengal to follow the government's directive of not increasing school fees this year and to “sympathetically” consider guardians’ requests if they can’t pay fees because of the lockdown.

“The school education department of Bengal has informed us about its directive to private schools regarding students’ fees,” Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary, Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, said on Thursday. “The council affiliated schools have been advised to follow the same. An advisory has been sent to schools in this regard.”

The council has also advised schools to follow the government directive regarding promotion to all students between Classes I and VIII.

The Bengal government had written to all private schools on April 10 asking them not to charge revised fees this year. Guardians have complained that schools ignored the directive and asked them to pay the revised fees.

The school education department wrote to the council about its directive to private schools in the state. And the council on Wednesday sent its advisory, along with a copy of the government’s letter, to its schools. Several private schools have kept their decision on charging revised fees on hold in view of the government directive.

Schools had announced a fee hike in April to meet the increase in the annual expenditure to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for teachers and members of non-teaching staff.