Parents launch campaign against overcharging by private schools

Parents of the children studying in some of the private schools of the city launched a signature campaign at Ram Bagh on Sunday against the “loot” by educational institutions.

Parents of the children studying in some of the private schools of the city launched a signature campaign at Ram Bagh on Sunday against the “loot” by educational institutions.

Parents raising slogans against the managements of private schools at Company Bagh in Amritsar on Sunday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

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Congress leader Dinesh Bassi who led the campaign, said private schools had made the education a business. He said schools were fleecing parents in the name of re-admission fee, annual charges, besides hiking the fee every session.

“Managements of most school are violating the ruling of Punjab and Haryana High Court under which no private school is allowed to go for fee hike or enhance any kind of charges without permission of Justice Amar Dutt Committee,” he said, announcing that in coming days parents would lodge a complaint with the deputy commissioner against overcharging.

Sukhjinder Singh whose child studies in Guru Harkarishan Public School, said, “Most of the private schools were established by the charitable institutions to provide better education to all sections of society but, nowadays, profit appeared to be their only focus.”

Another parent, Lakhwinder Singh said, “I came from Australia recently and was shocked to see the loot by private schools. These schools impose unreasonable charges on students. For instance, some schools change uniform every six months. Time has come for parents to mobilise and raise a voice against this,” he added.

During the campaign, parents were carrying placards and banners as they raised slogans against private schools. They demanded from the state government to come up with a strict law to deal with the issue.