Parents protest as school not refunding NASA trip amount

Sukhmeet Bhasin

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 25

Several parents, whose wards are studying in St Joseph’s Convent School, on Wednesday staged a protest against the school management in front of the main gate of the school over not refunding Rs 1.50 lakh each taken as trip fee from 85 students for the US NASA trip.

The protesters raised slogans and carried banners in their hands against the school principal during the protest.

The victim parents even constituted a NASA group affected parents’ association. They alleged that the school authorities had collected Rs 1.50 lakh from the 85 students and were not returning the trip money, though it had been cancelled following the refusal of visa by the US Embassy.

The parents claimed that earlier the school principal had ensured that they would refund the money within 90 days (on September 12).

Moreover, they alleged that instead of returning the money, the school principal removed all the parents from the NASA group 2019, being run on social media (WhatsApp) after some parents uploaded refund form copies in the group.

They further alleged that they felt that the school in connivance with Starice (P) Ltd Company, New Delhi, had duped the parents. Moreover, parents said despite lodging their complaint with the district administration, no action had, so far, been taken against the school.

In the complaint, they alleged that St Joseph’s Convent School had scheduled to arrange for an educational tour of their students from Classes IX to XII to NASA, US, in December, 2018. Further, they claimed that the school had prompted the parents of students for the participation of their wards in this tour. The school had collected Rs 1.50 lakh each from 85 parents by cash or through cheque in favour of Starice (P) Ltd, out of the agreed amount of Rs 2.50 lakh for participation.

Later, the US Embassy refused to grant visa to the first batch of 35 students that was presented before the Embassy in June, 2019. Therefore, the school cancelled the trip.

The parents alleged that despite the fact that the tour had been cancelled in June 2019, the school was not returning the money collected for it.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Deputy Commissioner B Srinivasan said, “The parents have lodged a complaint against the school with him and I have directed the police to take action in the matter after conducting a probe.”