FIR filed as Khar school hikes fees

Updated on: Thursday, March 17, 2011

With no proper Fee Regulation Act in place, another city school is now under the parents’ scanner.

Parents of students from the St Elias High School, Khar, complained to the education department two weeks ago after repeated attempts to oppose a fee hike. The parents filed an FIR against the school at the Khar police station as no action was forthcoming from the education department.

“We had no option but to seek police help. Even the education department didn’t come to our rescue” said Sandeep Jadhav, whose son studies in Class I. Jadhav said the fees, which were Rs 330 until last year, were suddenly raised to Rs 450 at the beginning of the academic year. In January, the fee was suddenly increased to Rs 800.

Parents have also complained that the school charges fees under various heads, including ‘activity fees’, ‘miscellaneous fees’ and ‘school fund’. “At the beginning of every year, we are made to pay up a huge amount as fees. Then, the school expects us to pay more every month” said Meenakshi J, the mother of a student. “When we opposed the hike at a meeting, a teacher conveniently told us to admit our children to another school if we could not afford the fees” she added.

Parents approached the Forum for Fairness in Education, an NGO, which helped them file a written complaint with the education department.

School principal Sister Philomena Sequeira told TOI that the school had to increase fees to pay teachers as per the Sixth Pay Commission scales and also to clear arrears. “We hiked our fees only after we got the Parent Teacher Association’s approval” said Sequeira.

The parents, however, claimed that the PTA had not discussed the hike with other parents. Deputy education officer S Jogi TOI “We have received a complaint and will work on it immediately. We will first arrange for a meeting between the parents and school authorities to try to resolve the issue.”

FIR filed as Khar school hikes fees

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