Parents’ associations in State Capital have protested excess fee being allegedly charged by private schools in Ranchi and other cities of State. Different parent associations have threatened to launch an agitation if fees like building fund, library charges were not stopped by school authorities.
Private School and Children Welfare Association, Chairman Alok Dubey said, “It is very unfortunate that private schools are charging miscellaneous fees from students in the name of sanitization and other charges.” Dubey said that schools can only charge tuition fees as per the directive issued by the State government.
Founder president of Jharkhand Abhibhavak Sangh, Ajay Rai moving a step further said that they will approach the Court against such schools charging other fees than tuition fees. Ajay Rai said, “In such cases parents should come forward in making their complaint. If we receive a written complaint from parents we will knock the High Court’s door with such complaints.” The issue came to fore after some schools demanded miscellaneous fees from students despite the fact that students have paid their tuition fees. A city based private school in Capital is not allowing them to appear for their examination as they have not paid miscellaneous fees as demanded by school administration. The parents’ argument is that as per directive issued by the State School Literacy and Education Department only tuition fees should be demanded by the schools. A class V student of a private school had paid the tuition fees of Rs 28,560 (tuition fees-Rs 7140 per quarter), but now the child is being denied his admit card for his online final examination by the school authorities.
The parent of the kid said, “As per the directive issued by the State School Literacy and Education Department of Jharkhand only tuition fees should be demanded by the schools and I have already paid.” The man further said, “On February 20, just before four days of the final examination, I received a message from the school for downloading the admit card, but I was not allowed to download the admit card for final examination and the page says please pay the fees upto March 2021.” He said, “I have paid the miscellaneous fees as demanded by school authorities, but it is cheating on part of school.”
As final examination in most schools is going to commence from the last week of February, many schools are once again exerting pressure on students to pay pending tuition fees till March.
A class V student of a school located at Kadru said, “I have paid tuition fees till January, but the school authorities are exerting pressure on paying tuition fees till March. The teacher has also threatened to remove me from the class Whatsapp group.”