Parents of International Private school students are complaining that private schools have requested them to make a payment of the full fee for the second academic term, despite schools being closed for close to over a month of the second term.
Parents are complaining that it is unreasonable for private schools to charge a fee for an entire term when schools are closed.
The parents also say that many of them are facing numerous difficulties due to the current economic situation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
All state and private schools in Sri Lanka have been ordered to be indefinitely closed from the 3rd week of March, due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. However, some private schools have been conducting classes online, while all schools remain closed.
Minister of Education Dullas Alahapperuma has told the Colombo Gazette website that the Ministry of Education has requested private schools to reconsider the decision to charge a full payment for the second academic term.
The Ministry states that it can only request and not put pressure on private schools with regards to the payment of term fees.