Lucknow, Jan 18 (IANS): The Unaided Private School Association (UPSA) has opposed government's decision of 'no fee increment' for the session 2022-23.

Around 250 schools under UPSA have demanded permission to hike fees and have sent a letter in this regard to additional chief secretary (secondary education), Aradhana Shukla.

The UPSA said that for the last two years schools have not increased a single penny but now they have to increase 8 to 10 per cent fees as schools are running in losses and are finding it difficult to pay salaries to the employees.

UPSA president Anil Agarwal said, "A number of students from private schools have left the school due to the financial crisis and/or have taken admission in government schools. Also, at the junior class level, parents are not admitting students but are preferring private coaching or new online learning platforms. Students are less and expenditures are more, hence, schools have to increase fees this year."

He said this year's situation is not as challenging as it was at the time of the lockdown last year.

"We have not increased teachers' salaries for the last two years and our maintenance charges are going up every year. We have given a fee waiver to a number of students who had lost their dear ones due to Covid. The association requests the government to allow them to increase fees this year," he added.

Agarwal said it is also tough to keep teachers motivated without giving them salary hikes.