Frequent fee hike vexes parents

LUDHIANA: If the tedious admission processes were not enough to keep the parents hassled, they will now have to bear another hole in their pocket, as the major schools in the city have decided to hike the admission and monthly fee by 7-10%. The one time admission fee in different schools ranges between Rs 15,000 and Rs 75,000.
Though in 2009, a city NGO had filed a civil writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court, bringing to light the matter of yearly hike in fee by private schools.
Regional director of DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, R S Patial, said they had received a letter from CBSE after the writ petition was filed. "The board asked us to furnish genuine causes before increasing the fee, after going through which, the board will permit the fee hike," he said.
Patial added, "This year too, we will hike the fee by 10-11%. We have told the CBSE through our letter that the teachers will also get an increment of about 14%. So, if we charge extra from parents, it is for providing their children with quality education.
"Our school will soon have the best auditorium in the city. So, how is it wrong if we charge a bit more from parents? Our admission and monthly fee are much lesser compared to other schools. A hike of 8% is nominal," said the principal of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, Mona Singh.
Atam Nagar resident Tammana Chowdhary, 37, said she has to get her twins admitted in the same school as her elder kid's. "I was shocked to know the admission fee now is Rs 65,000, which will definitely shake the family budget for a while," she said.