In protest against fees hike and alleged insistence by the school authorities to purchase books from only one shop, the parents held a protest outside the Summer Valley School here on Wednesday.
On the day many parents squatted near the front gate of the school and engaged in slogan shouting against the school authorities. local councillor Rakesh Manjkholla led the agitators. later the MlA from the area and former education minister Khajan Das also arrived on the spot in support of the parents. The parents alleged that the school is increasing 15-20 percent of fees every year which is falling hard on their pockets. One of a parent said, “The school also forces us to buy books and stationery from a specific shop. The school uses the books of private publishers in defiance of the order by the government that only the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) books are prescribed by the schools. The books of private publishers are expensive and available in select shops only.” Another parent said, “All parents are agitated at the fees hike. Further the teachers also force the students to take private tuition and the school authorities take no notice of it.’’
A physically challenged person said that the school has paid no heed to his repeated requests for fee exemption for his daughter.
The Principal of the school, Colonel Jasvinder Singh (Rtd) however denied these charges. He claimed that the local councillor has enacted the whole issue as he wanted some admissions done which were rejected by the school. The Principal said that only an increase of 10 percent has been done in fees.
The local MlA, Khajan Das later mediated a meeting between the agitated parents and the school management. In the meeting councillor Manjhkhola accused the school authorities of high headedness. The Managing Director of the school Ashok Vasu had a heated argument with councillor and others in the meeting. In the meantime the issue was informed to state education minister Arvind Pandey who asked the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Dehradun, Mujul Kumar Sati to go the spot. Sati listed to the complaints of the parents and the plea of school administration. He said that a committee is being set which would investigate the charges of the parents.