Karnataka private school staff to take out rally in Bengaluru in protest of 30% fee cut

With the Karnataka government not deciding to reverse its decision to impose a 30 percent cut on tuition fees, more than 25,000 teachers, non-teaching staff and management members from private schools in the state will take out a rally in Bengaluru on 23 February.

According to Hindustan Times, Karnataka Private School Managements, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee (KPMTCC) have stated that the rally will be taken out from Bengaluru railway station to freedom park in the city.

The protest comes in the backdrop of a government order that directed private schools to reduce fees for the upcoming academic session. The schools, however, argued that they need money to pay its staff. However, parents contested the argument stating that most teachers have been sacked or have received pay cuts from the management.

The KPMTCC consists of 11 private school associations. Several schools have communicated to parents through circulars that they supported the rally and the classes on Tuesday would remain suspended.

D Sashi Kumar, convener of the committee, said that the school managements and their staff had to protest as they were facing financial constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Indian Express quoted Mansoor Ali Khan, general secretary, Management of Independent CBSE Schools Association (MICSA) as saying, "We hope the protest will draw the government's attention. No one wants to take to the streets to protest, but we have been put in that position."

According to Khan, if the education secretary had discussed the issues with them, they could have come up with a solution.

However, private schools in rural Karnataka have decided to not participate in the protest, the report added.