Show-cause notices issued to 3 schools for demanding fee

Tribune News Service
Mohali, April 8

The Education Department today issued show-cause notices to three more private schools in Mohali district for demanding fee during the 21-day lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla had stated of taking stern action against schools defying orders of the government.

Singla informed that Doon International School, Mohali; ATS Valley School, Dera Bassi; and Lawrence Senior Secondary School, Mohali; have been issued show-cause notices today.

Earlier, The Gurukul World School, Zirakpur and Mohali; Shishu Niketan School, Mohali; Sesame Street School, Sector 114, Mohali; and Dikshant International School, Zirakpur; were served notices for demanding fee.

The minister said schools should also not charge transportation fee and book expenses from students for the next academic session till the lockdown gets over.

He said the Education Department had issued an order on March 23 in which all private schools in the state were asked to reschedule their admissions for 2020-21. He said schools were directed to provide window period of atleast 30 days for submission of fee after the situation gets normalised.

Singla said schools have also been directed not to charge any late fee during this period.

“Show-cause notices have already been issued to violators and they have been given a seven-day period to file their reply. If they fail to give satisfactory reply, we are going to cancel their affiliation or no-objection certificate (NOC),” said Singla.

The minister said due to Covid-19 pandemic, parents have not been able to pay fee.

He said Covid-19 outbreak has brought all businesses to a standstill and private schools should follow guidelines of the state government.