Schooling during Covid-19 pandemic.

Byline: Zakir Tajammul - Karachi

THE management of every school has decided to collect fees for the 2020-21 academic year, now that all schools are conducting online classes. This has added to parents' woes, as they now have to bear additional expenses of internet data pack besides buying electronic gadgets like PCs, laptops, tablets, headphones, speakers, etc. in addition to the dreaded thought of giving their children smartphones.

There has to be another solution, as in the long run, it is the parents who are paying more for their children's education while the schools' expenditure has reduced considerably --lower utility bills, reduction in non-teaching staff, cuts in monthly overhead expenses like transportation, canteen bills etc.

On the other hand a parent or some other elder now has to sit with the children while online classes are in progress to assist them when needed. The worst affected are the teachers who have to put in longer hours to get the same amount of work done.

The children, their...