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63% parents reveal schools hiked fees despite lectures being conducted online
Schools have been conducting lectures online for more than 15 months now but fee hikes are still a concern for parents. In a survey of nearly 16,000 parents from across the country, it shows that 63% parents have mentioned a school fee hike even though classes are being conducted completely online. 65% respondents also revealed that their respective State governments have been ineffective in regulating school fees during Covid.
Schools have been conducting lectures online for more than 15 months now but fee hikes are still a concern for parents. In a survey of nearly 16,000 parents from across the country, it shows that 63% parents have mentioned a school fee hike even though classes are being conducted completely online. 65% respondents also revealed that their respective State governments have been ineffective in regulating school fees during Covid.
"In separate incidents, parents from across the country have been protesting against unjust school managements hiking fees in private schools. Several states like Uttar Pradesh have directed schools to not hike fees, and the Supreme Court too has asked school managements to not insist on payment of fees for facilities not used by students, but the unrest amongst parent community persists," said a report made public by LocalCircles, a
community social media platform enabling citizens and small businesses to escalate issues for policy enforcement and interventions.
The survey, in which 15,950 parents from across India have participated further highlights how of those forced to pay an increased fee for the 2021-22 academic year, nearly 33% are bearing a 20% increase in the annual fees. The same survey also asked parents whether the state governments have helped regulate school fees but 65% parents replied in the negative.
"Hike in school fees is a fight between parents and the management every year, and most times the school managements give no explanation behind the hike. However in a year when families have been struck emotionally and economically, the least these schools can do is mantain the same fee structure," said Anju Mehta, a parent activist who has regularly fought against private school managements in the state. She added that the incapability of state mechanism to control private school managements is the root cause of the problem.
At the same time, school heads have time and again highlighted that whatever costs they have saved by non-usage of certain facilities have been instead invested in providing digital education to students.
"Several schools have invested in softwares and software expert companies to handle virtual classrooms and ensure that regular classes are not affected. None of these have come cheap and in order to continue good quality education, we have no choice but to hike fees. Most schools have also given the option of fee payment in installments to parents, knowing the financial burden everyone is facing," said the principal of a south Mumbai school, on condition of anonymity.
Previously, LocalCircles also conducted another survey of 19,000 parents where 76% respondents said they are not ready to send their children to school unless Covid-19 cases in their districts goes down to zero, or all children are vaccinated first. Interestingly, over 65% respondents have approved that their children receive Covid vaccine if it is made available by September 2021.
