BENGALURU: The number of cases where private schools in the city demand higher fees is only increasing.A few days back, more than 150 parents along with children staged a protest outside the residence of primary and secondary education minister raising the issue of 5-6 schools in the city that were allegedly hiking school fees.
Now, a fresh complaint has been registered with Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) against Sree Chaitanya Techno School, MS Palya.As per the complaint, the school authorities are not allowing eight students enter the school premises after their parents refused to pay the fees demanded by the school.
Paramesh, a parent, said, “My son is a Class 6 student and he has been going to the same school from Class 3. The school has demanded double the fees which we had paid during the last academic year. As we refused to pay the amount, they are not letting my son into the campus. We have brought this to the notice of chairperson of child rights commission too,” said Paramesh.
Interestingly, the deputy director for public instructions had directed the school to admit the children. Despite the orders, the school has denied admissions, demanding parents to pay the fee amount.
Authorities of KSCPCR said they will issue summons to the schools.
The school authorities were unavailable for comment.
Govt fails to fix fee for CBSE, ICSE schools
Despite the decision taken during Assembly and Council sessions by amending Karnataka Education Act, the state government has failed to implement the same. As per the recent amendments, the fees at private schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE boards should be on par with state schools. The government said it will fix the fee by constituting a committee. But this has not been implemented yet.
Labourer writes to PM over high fees
Questioning the attitude of private schools in the state that are charging exorbitantly, a parent wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to bring a national fee policy at primary and secondary school level.Nagesh Patagara, a daily wage laborer in the city, wrote to Modi explaining the problem he and other parents faced due to the hefty fees charged by schools. “I explained the mental stress that parents from middle and lower-middle class families undergo during admissions every year. I received acknowledgement from the PM’s office for the same,” said Nagesh.