Many have held prolonged stirs against constant fee hikes, but quite a few parents' voices have been stifled by schools. This is their story

Ever since MiD DAY began this campaign to highlight irregularities in private schools, we have been flooded with requests to report on fee hikes across private schools. From hunger strikes to street protests, detention in police lock-ups to rows with school managements, knocking on the minister's doors to even admitting kids to municipal schools in disgust, the stories have been pouring in. A few schools have been in the news as a result of parents protesting, but many among the parents are still suffering quietly.


Not fair: A protest against fee hike. Even as many parents have
actively fought against schools, others have not been able to do so
as there is no unity in the PTA or because the school has strong backing

MiD DAY brings to you complaints from schools where parents claim fee hikes have upset their plans but they dare not form an association or protest too loudly for fear of expulsion or other harsh treatments meted out to their children in the schools.

At Sahakar Nagar's Muktangan School, for example, marketing executive Mahesh Mandhare claims his family's monthly budget has been spinning out of control because of continuous fee hikes. His daughter studies in Std II and he claims that the fees get hiked between 15 and 25 per cent every year. "In 2010 it was Rs 8,000 but this year it is Rs 10,300. The hike is more than 25 per cent but we have no option but to pay. We have tried raising this issue in the PTA but there is no unity as parents don't want to come forward," he said.

Principal R P Joshi said, "Yes, we have increased the fees this year but only after a gap of four years. No parent has ever complained to the school and that shows that they have accepted the increased fees."
At Pimpri's SNBT School that is affiliated to SSC and CBSE boards, parents complain that the fee has been hiked by 30 per cent without their consent. Ikhlas Sayyed, whose daughter studies in Std IV of the SSC board school, said fee hike was a yearly exercise. "Last academic year, they hiked the fees from Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000. It was a 30 per cent hike. This year it was supposed to be Rs 14,900. We learnt this from the prospectus of new admissions. That's when we started our protests and got it in writing from the management that fees would remain the same," he said.

A member of the SNBT Palak Sangh (SNBT Guardians' Association)on condition of anonymity said parents of the CBSE school were not as lucky as that. "Even for the CBSE school, which they have started last year, the fees are hiked by almost Rs 4,000. In 2010, fees were Rs 20,000, which was hiked to Rs 24,300 for the coming academic year. When this issue was raised in the PTA meeting, the parents were pressured by the school to accept the hike or withdraw their children," the association member said.

School Principal Gudh Simran was unavailable for comment. But Sunil Shevale, principal of SNBT said: "All the fee hike decisions that have been made have been done with the consent of the PTA members. We have the signed documents," he said. At Dr Kalmadi Shamrao School too, parents have been complaining of fee hikes. Parents said the school has hiked its fee from Rs 17,000 to Rs 28,000 within two years.

"We are middle-class people, but we dare not protest as the school has strong backing. According to a letter by the school, the fee hike is Rs 11,000, which will be implemented over two years for our convenience. But we are unhappy," said a parent, requesting anonymity. Principal Kamini Saxena said: "We have explained to the parents why fee hike was essential and they are satisfied. As far as I know there is no issue over it any more and if anyone has a problem, let them approach us," she said.

What the law says
The state is working on a fee regulation act for private unaided schools. Officially, there is no law that specifically deals with the issue of arbitrary fee hikes by private schools as all existing government resolutions have been quashed by the high court. School Education Minister Rajendra Darda announced that deputy director of the city, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and elsewhere to keep strict vigil on all educational institutions and ensure that the Capitation Fee Act is implemented. The officials have been asked to look into parents' complaints and check each school's account records for the last three years. Show-cause notices will be issued to schools if they are found charging excess fees or their account books show that the profit made by them is not used for educational purposes. Darda has promised severe action.

Voices
The school authorities are just increasing fees in the name of quality education. For them, quality means good flooring tiles, air-conditioners and other infrastructure facilities. But for our children, we only need good education in its real sense and learning
-- Shahirali Sayyad, children study in Rosary School

The government has commercialised education. Education is a necessity for children. For any country to progress and develop, more opportunities of free education should be provided
-- Mateen Mujawar, president, Shikshan Hak Manch
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When we came to know about the fee hike for this year too, our PTA members protested. Only after that have the school authorities agreed to keep the fees constant for this academic year
-- Ikhlas Sayyad, daughter studies in SNBT, Pimpri