Private schools in Bengaluru are demanding an excess ‘COVID fees’ from their students, soon after the Centre announced the reopening of educational institutions under Unlock 4. The fees will be used to fund the expenditure for sanitisation and disinfection of their premises.

In its recent set of standard operating procedures for schools, the Centre has said that students from class 9 to 12 can return to schools September 21 onwards, but on a voluntary basis and in a phased manner. However, the schools, especially those that were used as COVID-19 facilities, need thorough cleaning — including setting up markers to ensure social distancing, sanitiser stations at entry points etc.

Private schools in Bengaluru have claimed that cleaning the school every few hours adds a huge responsibility on the management, News18 reported.

‘We plan to use 70 per cent alcohol wipes and good disinfectants to ensure the safety of our students. The housekeeping budget may go up by 5 per cent, but in the long run, only our children will benefit,’ D Shashi Kumar was quoted as saying. Kumar is the general secretary of Associated Management of English Medium Schools, a private-run body that coordinates the management of English-medium primary and secondary unaided schools in Karnataka.

‘It is a genuine expenditure, as housekeeping is going to escalate. We would need thermal scanners, disinfectants and necessary infrastructure,’ Kumar said, adding that the move will also explain the expensive affair to the parents, to ensure children’s safety.

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