School fee hike stir reaches capital

GURUGRAM: Seeking relief for “unjustified fee hike” in private schools, around 500 parents from Gurgaon and Faridabad reached the national capital to protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday morning. The group later marched towards Haryana Bhawan to submit a memorandum for the President’s office, and were slotted an appointment with him tomorrow. A copy of the memorandum was submitted to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s office.

“We’ve submitted a memorandum to President Mukherjee and chief minister Khattar. We’re also seeking a meeting with the latter in the coming week. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll be forced to protest on the roads,” said Ramesh Rana, national president of All India Parents Forum for Education (AIPFE). The parents are planning to burn effigies and hold protests in front of private schools and concerned government offices as well, if the government fails to address their issue.

The memorandum, a copy of which is with TOI, reads, “As per Punjab and Haryana high court order dated November 24, 2016, the audited report for schools in Gurgaon division has not been given to the complainants. Due to delays, schools are taking adverse actions like striking off names, withholding results.”

“The government has formulated impressive policies but there is no implementation of these. The Haryana government is unfortunately not working in public interest,” said Bhupinder Singh, representative of the Haryana chapter of AIPFE. The memorandum also said the Haryana government is not favouring parents, which is evident from the protests against the education mafia patronised by “the BJP-ruled Haryana government”, which was covered widely by national and international media.

Parents are aggrieved by chief minister Khattar’s recent comment at a public meeting in Karnal some days ago, where he said parents should reach a compromise with schools instead of roaming around with memorandums, and must instead focus on their kid’s education. “The state government is not listening to our concerns. I don’t understand why the government forms policies, if they can’t ensure their implementation,” said Sandeep Vats, a Gurgaon parent.

There were representatives from city schools, including The Presidium, Manav Rachana International, DSP-G Palam Vihar, DPS Sector 45, Shiv Nadar, Amity International Sector 46, Ryan International, and The Heritage.

Schools, though, said with the Seventh Pay Commission, staff salaries have increased, pointing to the Khattar’s advice to parents for compromise. “We’ve to pay higher salaries, service taxes, provide facilities like CCTV, guards, etc. It’s impossible without a

fee hike

. The CM has himself suggested a compromise,” said colonel Pratap Singh, president, Haryana Progressive Schools Alliance.