Parents of school students, NGOs, teachers from across state to begin fast-unto-death in Mumbai to press for fee regulation

Call it the Anna Hazare effect. Taking a leaf out of Hazare's book, parents' bodies across the state have decided to go on an indefinite hunger-strike demanding that the government draw up a fee regulation act and pay revised salaries to teachers.


Seeking action: Parents on hunger strike outside a city school a few
months ago. file pic

Parents of school students, NGO's and teachers from the city, Mumbai, Nasik, Nanded and Aurangabad will participate in the Satyagraha or fast unto death which is to begin on Wednesday morning at Azad Maidan.
Jayant Jain, president of Forum for Fairness in Education (FFE) that will be part of the fast, said they have distributed at least a lakh pamphlets and sent about 3 lakh text messages soliciting support for the event.

"Though we had decided to do this in October, it didn't happen. Now, people are charged up because of Anna Hazare and this is the right time. Many teachers have also agreed to join us and we are confident that we will get the same success that he did," said Jain.

The parents want the government to introduce a law that would keep a check on unreasonable fee hikes, collection of capitation fees and donations, and rigorous interview sessions for children during admissions. They are also demanding that private school managements be instructed to pay their teachers salaries according to the sixth pay commission.

"The teachers are paid poorly and so the quality of teaching is dropping. When schools collect such hefty fees from us and keep revising it, why should the teachers be paid so less? Secondly, the government has already come up with a draft law on its website but it has many inadequacies. We have pointed it out to the authorities, but no discussion has been initiated with parents on that," said Sandeep Chavan, parent of student from Pimpri's D Y Patil school.

Chavan and a group of parents of students studying in Rosary, Sinhagad Springdale and Crescent High School will go to Mumbai to be part of the fast unto death protest.

"We want the government to introduce the law along with the proposed changes that parents want. This will tighten the noose around corrupt private unaided schools. Until our demands are accepted, we won't break our fast. Just like Anna Hazare did," said Jain.