Siblings expelled from school near Mumbai for non-payment of hiked fees

Their mother said the reason the school gave to expel the kids was “as per parents wishes”

Siblings — a boy and a girl — were expelled from Cosmopolitan High School, Mira Road, for not paying the hiked fees in September. The children have not been reinstated despite the Deputy Director of Education, Mumbai, ordering the school to do so. So the family has been staging a dharna in front of MBMC office.

The family stages a dharna at Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation office. (HT)

Ayesha Shaikh, a class 3 student, and Asif, who studies in class 1, were expelled after their mother Nishad protested against the fee hike. “The fee has been hiked by 52%. From a monthly Rs950, it has increased to Rs1,350. I was not ready to pay the hiked fees,” said Nishad, a homemaker. “My husband works in a garment shop in Malad and it is anyway difficult to make ends meet.”

She said the reason the school gave to expel the kids was “as per parents wishes”. “We approached Dr B B Chavan, Deputy Director of Education, Charni Road, and he ordered the school to reinstate my two children,as it is a violation of the Right to Education Act, 2009, on October 26 and again on November 13,” said the mother.

Neelam Pathak, principal of the school refused to comment.