Schools in Uttar Pradesh cannot charge transportation fees from students for the lockdown period, according to Department of Secondary Education. The schools have been closed to arrest the spread of COVI-19 pandemic which has claimed 20 lives and infected 1,294 people so far in the state. The schools are expected to reopen in the state after the situation comes to normal. The central government has announced lockdown all over the country till May 3.
Earlier, various district administrations in the state directed all educational institutes in the district not to exert pressure on parents to deposit advance fee of their children.
The government said Secondary Education Principal Secretary Aradhana Shukla directed all district magistrates and the Director, Secondary Education, to ensure no school charge transportation fee from their students for the lockdown period.
The order was issued on the direction of the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Dinesh Sharma, who also holds the portfolio of Secondary Education and Higher Education.
"The Department of Secondary Education, Uttar Pradesh, has an issued an advisory asking the schools to not charge transportation fees from the students during the lock down period or until the schools are closed", Dr Sharma tweeted.
Last week, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed state officials to start online classes in all educational institutions and work on a permanent model for these and Dr Sharma tweeted today saying students in the state will be able to study through WhatsApp during the lockdown.
The minister said that classes for the new session will be conducted through WhatsApp by creating common groups for teachers and students.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Board or UP Board has warned public about fraud calls which claim to get students pass grade in board exam in exchange for money. The caller claims to be a board employee. Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has also released a notice in this regard on its website.
The board in its notice says that along with the promise to get a student passed in the exam, a savings bank account number and corresponding IFSC Code is also being provided.
(With PTI Inputs)
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