AMSU hails new fee order, lifts ban on schools Now Govt rules 30 pc fees from July

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 8: The Department of Education (S) issued an order yesterday superseding its earlier October 5 order and directed all private and Government aided schools to collect 30 percent of the monthly fees from students from the month of July.
The earlier October 5 order had allowed schools to  collect 30 percent of the monthly fees from students/parents from the month of April and it had drawn strong opposition from many student bodies including AMSU (All Manipur Students’ Union). Notably, AMSU had also banned several schools for collecting the monthly fees.
Meanwhile, AMSU has welcomed the new order of the Department of Education (S) and urged all private and Government aided schools to strictly follow the order and collect the 30 percent monthly fees from July onwards.
Speaking to media persons at its office at Dhanamanjuri College campus, AMSU’s secretary general, Bipinchandra Ahanthem said the union welcomes the partial modification of the October 5 order and expects all schools concerned to follow the new order.
While the other terms and conditions mentioned in the October 5 order remain the same, the new order has changed the month from which the fees may be collected from the students. As per the latest order, 30 percent of the monthly fees are to be collected from the students starting July and schools have to pay 50 percent  salary to teachers from April, he said.
He recalled that AMSU had earlier objected to the October 5 order as it would have given the parents and guardians of the students extra financial burden amid the pandemic that had closed almost all means of earning during the lockdown period.
The union had started appealing schools not to collect tuition fees for the lockdown months since May. The October 5 order was met with strong opposition from the union and many rounds of talks with teachers and school authorities were held on the issue, he said.
Further, the union has lifted the ban imposed on MEM Higher Secondary School, UNACCO School, Kindergarten Montessori School, COMET, Tiny Tots’ Unique School, Bright Foundation and Maria Montessori School as the institutions have taken up corrective measures, he said.
It may be noted that AMSU had imposed temporary ban on several institutions for collecting fees from the students when there was a deadlock with the Department of Education (S) regarding the October 5 order.