Delhi's Modern School wants fee from EWS girl, stops online class
NEW DELHI: Despite guidelines from the Delhi government, Modern School has stopped a Class XI student belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) from attending online classes and other activities due to non payment of fees. Advocate and president of All India Parents Association, Ashok Agarwal has issued a legal notice to the private school located on Barakhamba Road in this regard.
Following a high court order, the Directorate of Education had recently issued a notice to private schools in Delhi to charge monthly fees with a 15 per cent deduction. It had strictly said that schools should not prevent students from attending school activities and online classes if their parents could not afford to pay fees. However, according to the notice issued by advocate Agarwal, Kritika Dang was admitted to Modern School in 2019 under the EWS category.
After clearing Class X in 2020-21, she was promoted to XI in the academic year 2021-22. But her parents received a call from the school administration on June 1 that their daughter was no longer in the EWS category and had to pay for further studies.
“It is submitted that student Kritika Dang on 7th June tried to log in to her Microsoft Team ID for online classes. She could not log in as her ID was locked. Following which the student wrote a mail to the school to unlock her ID to which the school responded saying that the facility of free education cannot be extended anymore,” read the legal notice. She also received an SMS from the school demanding Rs 38,910 for quarterly fees (April to June).
Agarwal contended that the school is situated on government land and the student is entitled to study upto Class XII as per terms of Delhi government notif icat ion dated 25/1/2007. Calls and messages to the principal of Moder n School went unanswered. Headmistress Jaya Khurana answered the call, but said she was “unable to speak right now”.
As per rules framed by Delhi government under Right to Education Act 2009, the school shall provide free education to all the EWS students up to class XII.
“As such your school action in not allowing admission in Class XI and not providing free education up to Class XII is illegal, unjust, discriminatory and arbitrary,” wrote tadvocate Agarwal.