Kolkata: State Education minister Partha Chatterjee has urged private schools not to implement any fee hike in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak that has adversely impacted the country's economy.
In a video message uploaded on his Facebook page on Wednesday night, Chatterjee said that his department has received complaints from some guardians that a section of private schools have hiked fee without taking note of the economic crisis where the state government is taking all possible measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
"The common people are facing hardship in this unprecedented situation. But our Education department and I personally have received several complaints from guardians that a section of private schools has effected a steep hike in fees. I hereby urge these schools to refrain from any such decision for the greater interest of the students," the minister said.
Chatterjee further requested all institutions, including private schools to take a humanitarian approach in the present situation and consider the cases of those, who are unable to pay fees. A few days before the lockdown was announced guardians of a south Kolkata private school situated in Gariahat had protested against the fee hike and have even written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her intervention on the issue.