While parents are relieved with Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann’s announcement against fee hike for the new academic session, private schools in Ludhiana are gearing up to move court against the order.
Mann had also announced that private schools can’t compel parents to buy school uniforms, stationery, etc from a particular shop.
Manmohan Singh, the managing director of St GDS Convent School, Ludhiana, who is also the president of the Federation of Private Schools of Punjab, said the government has been biased in its approach. He said that on one hand the government has not been able to control the fuel price hike, and on the other, it is barring schools from hiking fee.
“The CM should have capped the rates of diesel and petrol for schools so that we don’t incur losses while ferrying students to schools. Construction material has also got expensive and thus our expenses have scaled too. Teachers have already been promised increments,” said Singh.
He further contended that the previous government also did the same thing after coming to power but after court intervention, the decision was reversed.
{{/usCountry}}He further contended that the previous government also did the same thing after coming to power but after court intervention, the decision was reversed.
{{/usCountry}}“In a meeting of private schools, it was decided to move court against the government’s decision. We are yet to receive a formal notification from the government. Once we get it, we will challenge it in the court,” he added.
A principal of another school, on the condition of anonymity, said private schools have the right to hike fee by 8% every year.
“Under the Fee Regulatory Act, it is our right to increase the fees maximum up to 8 % due to inflation. Moreover, in case of any new construction, including boxing courts, auditorium, etc, more fees can be hiked with permission of local administration. Such an order by the CM and that too when schools have also been bearing the brunt of the pandemic, is injustice,” said the principal.
Meanwhile, parents are lauding the decision of the government.
A parent of a student of Sacred Heart Convent School said it would be of great help if the school does not increase the fee further.
“My son studies in Class 12. Even though my business was badly affected by the pandemic, I paid ₹75,000 as school fee last year. I hope this time, the fee won’t be hiked but these schools make use of their political contacts,” said a parent.
Few schools, according to the parents, initially scrapped the admission fees after hue and cry last year and eventually increased the quarterly fee. Last year, the local education department had received over 50 complaints against private schools pertaining to the fee hike.
District education officer (elementary) Jaswinder Kaur, who has the additional charge of secondary schools, said that since no official notification has been received from the government, no committee to curb fee hike has been made so far. When asked if action was taken against any private school last year for fee hike, the DEO claimed she was not aware of it.