’Can’t afford fee? Send your kids to govt school’

This was the advice of the principal of a private school to the parents of two boys admitted under EWS category

'Can't afford fee? Send your kids to govt school'

This was the advice of the principal of a private school to the parents of two boys admitted under EWS category

Ten-year-old Sahil has not attended his school for more than a week now. The reason: Cambridge Foundation School, where he studies in class V, has barred him from attending the classes as he has not been able to pay his fee.

No class: (Left) Sahil and Khistij are not allowed to attend classes as their
parents have failed to pay the school fees. Pic/Mid Day

Sahil had been admitted to this school in Rajouri Garden Extension, New Delhi, under Economically Weaker Section (EWS ) category some five years back. Initially, he was totally exempted from paying the fee but for last two years, the school had asked him to pay 50 per cent of his fee. This year he was asked to pay the entire fee. But when his family could not do that, the school authorities turned Sahil out of the class.

His mother Nirmala said that she had been visiting the school for the last one month to get a freeship for her son to which he was entitled to but of no avail. "I have been requesting the principal for a freeship as my son was admitted under EWS category. My husband used to work as a driver, but he has been out of job for the last three months. When I pleaded with the principal to at least let Sahil sit in the class while I arrange for the money, she said they didn't have any place for backward (caste) people like us and that we should put the child in a government school," said she.u00a0

Sahil is not the only child in the school suffering on account of school's rigid attitude. Class IV student Khistij is being turned out of his class everyday for not having paid his fee. His father Kailash Aggarwal has been doing the rounds of the school to seek exemption for his son under EWS category, but only in vain.

"My son had secured admission under EWS category and the school should consider this. I used to work for a private company which has closed down. So for the past few months I have been unemployed and am in no condition to pay the fee. This is injustice as my son is not being allowed to attend classes and faces humiliation amongst his peers everyday," said Aggarwal.

The Other Side
The school principal Anita Puri, however refuted these allegations. "We cannot go beyond our limit of 25 students under the EWS quota. The parents of both the students had visited me, but I think if they cannot afford to pay the fee, they should send their children to government schools. We will let them in only if they clear their dues.

Under scrutiny
After getting several complaints against the school, the Department of Education had ordered an inspection of the school in December last year that was carried out by a committee headed by the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), KS Yadav. In the report submitted by the committee, (the copy of which is with MiD Day), it was found that the school was violating many rules and norms like hiking the fee while ignoring the directives of Directorate of Education andu00a0 twisting admissions norms especially in case of students under EWS category.