A senior official at a public sector undertaking has opted for a 20 per cent waiver of the tuition fee for his child, who studies in a private school. A teacher at a government college did the same.

Among the 4,000-odd students in three schools run by a group, the parents of only three have been paying the full fees. One of the three parents told the school where his child studies that his payment was a contribution to those who are finding it difficult to pay.

Officials of several schools said many parents who could afford to pay the full fees were paying only 80 per cent of the amount.

Calcutta High Court had on October 13 ordered private schools, including those run by the Church, to waive 20 per cent of tuition fees of students between April and one month after the schools resume on-campus classes.

Schools have also been stumped by the kind of emails they have been receiving from parents who do not want to pay the full amount.

A parent who works in a senior position, and is not paying the full fees, wrote to the school that “during the lockdown he had helped many of his relatives financially,” a school official said.

Since schools have to make adjustments with what parents have already paid, one school head said the pinch would be felt most in the fourth quarter.

“There are parents who have paid up to the third quarter. Now, if they want to avail themselves of the waiver, the school will have to make adjustments in the fourth quarter. In addition are parents who have not paid,” said Sunil Agarwal, the founder director of The Newtown School.

In the three schools run by the Vidyamandir Society — Birla High School, Sushila Birla Girls’ School and Birla High School Mukundapur — the parents of only three children have paid the entire fees. The three schools together have around 4,000 students on their rolls.

“There are some parents who can afford (to pay the full fees), but people will pay whatever they are asked to and not more,” said Brigadier (retd.) V.N. Chaturvedi, the secretary general of Vidyamandir Society, which runs the three schools.

“We are a non-profit charitable society and one school is running for 79 years and another for 26 years. We don’t have an immeasurable surplus. We are sustaining up to the point it is possible for us to sustain.”

The three schools on Monday extended the deadline for payment from November 30 to December 31.

“For those parents who may not yet have made the payment as per the Order, we wish to inform you that in the interests of students and also for your convenience, we are voluntarily extending limited flexibility for the month of December 2020. It is sincerely expected and requested that all dues will be cleared within our self extended time frame upto 31st December 2020,” reads a notice issued by the three schools on Monday.

The principal of a school in south Calcutta said they were running on “reserves”.

“But how long can we run on reserves? We have been digging into the school reserves since July. We have to pay salaries to 240-odd employees, including teachers, and also have to spend on the maintenance of the school,” the principal said.

Several school heads said among those sought waivers were officials of nationalised banks, teachers at government institutions and established businessmen. Many of them have not suffered any financial loss because of the pandemic.

The high court had said in the October 13 order: “Parents and guardians of students are requested not to avail of the reduction in school fees if their financial situation does not merit the reduction. However, if any set of guardians or parents obtains the benefit, no question in such regard can be asked.”

A school head said many parents also see it as an advantage and schools have no right to question them.