BHUBANESWAR: Resentment is brewing among parents of private schools students with many of the institutions in the Capital city yet to implement the State government order on revised fees. Aggrieved parents have started staging protests in front of different public schools in the city, while some others have approached government authorities as well as police.
A group of parents which is staging dharna in front of a leading private school in Chandrasekharpur over the matter, has decided to sit on hunger strike from Thursday. Another group of parents is staging protest in front of a private school at BJB Nagar over collection of Rs 2,350 fine from parents who had not been able to pay the school fees on time.
"After notification of the revised fee structure and waiver of ancillary fees, some of the private schools have merged all their fees into one and are charging them as composite fee. When we asked for the break up of the fee structure, parents are being blocked from official Whatsapp groups and students blocked from attending online classes. This is a clear violation of the government notification that has been issued in compliance to the High Court order," said Nilamadhab Mohanty, a parent.
Members of the Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha have also demanded stern action against the schools that are disregarding government orders. "We have urged the School and Mass Education department to revoke the NOC and certificate of recognition of the schools that fail to comply with the government order and imposing fine or charging ancillary fee," Mahasangha members said.
Meanwhile, president of Confederation of Odisha Public Schools, Badrinath Patnaik termed the incident as 'unfortunate' and said that the confederation never supports a move that goes against High Court ruling or government order. "Schools collecting fee beyond the fixed structure and not complying to the government norms must be taken to the task as per law," Patnaik said.