Parents protest charging of ‘excess fee’ by private schools

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 24

The association of parents toady staged a demonstration outside the Directorate of Higher Education here and submitted a memorandum to its Director against the alleged charging of excess fee by private schools. It threatened to launch an agitation if the tuition fee was not rationalised and kept at less than 50 per cent of the total fee.

The protesters accused the private schools managements of flouting the orders of the state government to charge only tuition fee. “The private school managements are circumventing the orders of the government by merging admission fee, annual charges, computer fee, smart classroom fee, sports fee, care fund, development fund, building fund and miscellaneous charges with the tuition fee, putting a burden on the parents,” said Vijendra Mehra, convener of the association.

“Some schools have increased the tuition fee by 80 per cent to 100 per cent, entailing a burden of about Rs 15,000. The government should compare the fee structure of 2019-20 with the current year’s fee to check overcharging and fleecing by the private schools,” he said. “The state Cabinet had taken a decision in this regard and directed the private schools to charge only tuition fee but the defiant managements of private schools are charging an excess fee. The government has become a silent spectator and is not taking any action,” the parents rued.