HC order on school fee hike: Parents unhappy

Parents of Goregaon’s Vibgyor High School students expressed disappointment at the Bombay High Court’s (HC) interim direction to pay hiked school fees.

Parents of Goregaon’s Vibgyor High School students expressed disappointment at the Bombay High Court’s (HC) interim direction to pay hiked school fees.

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Last year, Vibgyor hiked annual fees for its primary section from Rs 47,000 to Rs 75,000 and from Rs 55,000 to Rs 83,000 for secondary.

Parents had moved court challenging the hike after which the deputy director of education directed the school to reduce fees. The school management then approached the HC against the order.

“After fighting long and hard we did not expect the court to issue this interim order,” said Sanjita Prasad, one of the petitioners against the school management and a parent of a Class 7 student.

Another parent, Prashant Basrur, said, “We have spent far more money on this case than we would have spent on our children’s education. The development is demoralising.”

The HC has asked the parents to pay the hiked fees till the government decides on the issue of private unaided schools raising their fees. The HC has given the government time till February to decide the issue.

“The law has been laid down by the high court that parents will have to pay accordingly,” said Rustom Kerawalla, a school trustee.