27 May,2017 01:13 PM IST | Mumbai | Silky Sharma
The matter has reached Mantralaya with hearings scheduled, but that hasn't deterred Dahisar's Universal High School from expelling 78 students, whose parents have failed to pay hiked fees for the academic year
Universal High School in Dahisar. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The matter has reached Mantralaya with hearings scheduled, but that hasn't deterred Dahisar's Universal High School from expelling 78 students, whose parents have "failed to pay hiked fees for the academic year".
After hiking fees by 12 per cent during the last academic year, the unaided minority school allegedly hiked fees by the same amount this academic year as well.
On April 19, parents had taken the issues of exorbitant hikes along with capitation fee and extra curriculum charges to the Mantralaya, for a hearing headed by state education minister Vinod Tawde. And even though the hearing went temporarily in parents' favour, the school has gone ahead and issued a de-enrolment letter to the students.
As per the Fee Regulation Act, fees can be hiked up to 15 per cent over two years, subject to approval from the PTA executive committee.
Old vs new
"Despite a Mantralaya hearing, our matter is unsolved. It is not that we haven't paid the fees; I paid them on a monthly basis as per the old fee structure, but the school returned the cheque," said Sakshi Dahanukar, parent of a Std VII student.
While a letter from the school states that since January it has sent several reminders for fee payment and 95 per cent parents have paid up, the latter allege that the school has manipulated some parents by speaking to them one-to-one.
A parent on the school's PTA executive committee, Suman Shetty, said, "We were a group of more than 700 protesting against the hike. School authorities kept calling us individually to resolve the matter; if we went in small groups, they would refuse to meet us. In this manner, many parents were coerced into paying the fees. However, that doesn't mean they can cancel admission of those whose parents haven't paid."
Many who paid the fees via monthly cheques after the Mantralaya hearing claimed that the school returned them. The school in its letter has stated that the new fee structure has been approved by the PTA executive committee.
"Begin a PTA executive committee member I can challenge the school to submit the video-recording in which the committee has approved it; this is a lie," said Shetty.
President of Forum for Fairness in Education Jayant Jain said, "For three consecutive years, the school has increased fees. It has also fooled parents by making purchase of books and other items compulsory from the school. Now, it's trying to suppress their voice. State government should take immediate action against the school."
Stubborn school
The school has maintained that it will only accept payment made according to the new fee structure, not the old.
"We have taken action (of de-enrolling 78 students) after five reminders and several phone calls for payment. Parents of 23 students with genuine financial constraints have been granted an extension of a couple of months," said school chairman Jesus Lall.
He added that the April 19 meeting with Tawde was not a hearing. "We were just invited at the Mantralaya to discuss the issue of fee hike," Lall said. "Parents must clear their dues before month-end, or the de-enrolment will go through."
From the Mantralaya
Tawde, on the other hand, has issued a press release assuring parents that no student will be de-enrolled. "The school has extended the deadline for payment of fees to May 31; no parent will be forced to make the payment until next week's hearing," he said.
