Minister Suresh Kumar calls schools for another round of talks

As the row over the order of 30% cut in school tuition fee led to massive protests, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Tuesday invited private school managements and parents for another round of talks.

He was addressing the protesting teachers, non-teaching staff and private school management representatives at Freedom Park.

“We had given time for private school managements and parents’ organisations to discuss the fee issue and come to the conclusion. But as they failed to come to any decision, the department of public instruction had to hear both of them and submit the report to the government, based on which the order on fee cut was issued,” Suresh Kumar explained.

The minister said that the government would protect the interest of both parents and private school managements while taking decisions and the issue be sorted out without causing trouble to anyone, the minister added.

However, justifying his efforts to convince the chief minister and finance department officials to release a financial package for teaching and non-teaching staff during the pandemic, the minister said, “I had discussed with everyone concerned over a financial package for teachers and support staff at private schools, but it did not work. I will again discuss it with the chief minister today.”