Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) and National Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (N-PABSON) have halted conducting online classes sating that they are ‘compelled to stop online classes’ due to financial crisis.

In a joint press statement issued by PABSON and N-PABSON yesterday, the organizations said private schools were unable to continue academic activities as the government had restricted them from collecting fees – their only source of income.

Nepal government has directed private schools to not collect fees during the lockdown period, which has left private schools in a financial distress.

Earlier, both PABSON and N-PABSON had issued a joint statement requesting parents to clear fees for the month of Chaitra stating difficulty in sustainability.

Schools across the country have been shut since March 24 due to nationwide lockdown in order to prevent spread of coronavirus infection. Several schools only recently had started conducting online classes.

“Being unable to pay teachers and employees, and take care of other expenses including house rent, bank installments, insurance, phone and electricity bills, internet services, has put the schools in financial crisis,” reads the statement.

“Despite being aware and worried about the students’ situation at present with the discontinuance of their education, we are unable to take forward the alternative teaching and learning activities with zero income,” the umbrella organisations have said.

Owing to the impact of the ongoing pandemic and its economic repercussions, parents are facing financial constraints, and at the same time, schools are also struggling to make ends meet.

The organisations further said that this move was the only feasible and appropriate option at the moment, however, they are open for dialogue to solve the problem.