Covid-19 has impacted the lives of millions around the world. The impact is multifaceted. Majority of the people worldwide have been forced to stay indoors. A vast majority of them who depend on their daily wages have no job hence no income. While a very few section of the employed are able to work from home, majority of the employed are unable to do that since the type and nature of their work do not permit them to do the job that way. They face partial or full salary cut. The challenges faced by the expatriate communities are further complicated. The anxiety about the safety of their dear ones back home, the inability to support them financially and emotionally during difficult times, adding to their agony.

The situation of an average Indian expatriate in Oman is not different. Majority of the low paid employees and others depending on their daily wages, small earnings from small businesses are facing serious financial challenges and find it now difficult to maintain the family. With reduced or no income, they find it difficult to pay rent and to buy essentials for food and other basic needs. Social organizations, the local government and the Embassy are trying to help the people by distributing food kits and essential medicines.

It is in this context, I am looking at the concerns and grievances raised by a section of the Indian school parents who recently have become very vocal on social media and desperately approaching the school authorities for school fees reduction or a complete waiver of the fees. A good number of the parents of Indian schools in Oman are employed on low salaried jobs, working with small shops and other establishments receiving minimal income. The number of such parents are as high as 70% in the interior schools. The Indian community school system in Oman which work on no profit-no loss basis has been a blessing to such parents for educating their children. The current situation of partial or full loss of income has become a big blow to such parents who even under normal circumstances struggle to pay the school fees and other expenses for their children.

As a person who was a parent of the system for more than a decade and also part of the school management for 4 years, I have come across a large number of such parents who really have serious difficulties in meeting their children’s school expenses. On the other hand, I have also seen how majority of our community schools struggle to meet both ends together. Fees is the only income for the community schools and we have more than 2000 direct employees depending on the school system for a living. Majority of them are not well paid as well. A demand for complete waiver of the school fees raised by some of the parents shall be looked at considering the practical aspects of the issue and within the limitations of a Community run school without any income other than the fees.

We have a responsibility to ensure sustainability of our community school system. We also need to make sure that, not a single student is kept away from the schools because his parent cannot pay the fees. Indian school Board in Oman has an unwritten policy agreed at the Board level that no Indian child should be deprived of education because of his/her parent’s inability to pay the fees. This is the time for the School Board and the management to strictly adhere to this Policy without fail. These are difficult times, unprecedented situations demand unprecedented efforts and decisions.

Following are some suggestions I put forward for consideration.

1. The parents who can afford, should pay the fees without fail. If they can pay for three months, six months or even one full year in advance, they should be encouraged to do that.

2. The parents who cannot pay because of the current situation shall inform their condition to the school authorities and offer to pay part of the fees they can afford or if that is not possible, they should request for a full waiver.

It is important that parents exercise these options honestly depending on their condition simply because sustenance of the community school system is crucial more for the parents than any other stake holders. The management team are voluntary members, they will come and go, teachers get job elsewhere, but for the parents and the community, we need the schools to stay.

3. The school management should initiate communications to the parents in line with the above asking such parents who can afford, to pay the fees. The management shall take an open and positive approach towards parents who cannot afford. The fees shall be waived off partially or fully for parents who come with such requests.

4. The Indian Embassy is the guardian of the Indian Community in the country and is associated with the schools in many ways. Embassy cannot be a spectator in these difficult times of the schools and the parents. As the Embassy is currently involved in supporting the community in various ways, they should also understand the difficulty of the schools specially the interior schools and mobilize financial support either from the Embassy community fund or by approaching the Indian government.

5. It is not something unworkable or impossible to consider the 2,000 employees of the community schools as central government servants and provide their salary for a few months. The expatriate community is contributing heavily to the economy back home and extending such support at difficult times is nothing but the duty of a responsible government. The Indian government is releasing Covid-19 financial package worth thousands of crores for relief measures and for stimulating the economy. An insignificant part of it would be sufficient for addressing the grievances of the expatriate community. I sincerely hope the Indian Embassy take this up with the government.

6. We have many Indian Business and Community leaders in Oman having good access to the national leaders and Government back home. They should also be reinforcing the efforts of the Embassy in this regard.

7. The promotor schools (Sohar, Al Gubrah and Wadi Kabir ) have the back- up of reputed business and trading houses in the country. They have demonstrated their social commitment in many critical times of the community. They should consider taking over the salary expenses of the teachers of their schools, from their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. The three promoter schools as part of the Indian school system have the advantage of a monopolistic environment for their education business and it is their duty from a professional and ethical perspective to support their needy parent community from the burden at this difficult times.

I believe the concerns and grievances raised by a section of the Indian Schools parents are justifiable and I honestly consider it is solvable with timely intervention and responsible behavior by the financially sound parents, a humane approach from School Board & management, the Embassy and the Indian government. If it doesn’t happen, it only means that we cease to exist as social beings anymore.

Wilson George is the former Chairman of Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman.