The dispute on fee structure between school managements and parents of various private schools in the district have come to the fore again as classes for the academic year 2012-13 are due to begin in the first week of June.
Representatives of parents from 13 schools in the district have sought the intervention of P.R. Natarajan, MP, on Saturday, to resolve the fee issue.
According to M. Saravanan, member of Students Association for Parents, the members had decided to meet the MP because the management was asking to pay fee during the period that was under dispute.
“The managements are asking us to pay excess amount for the period for which the case is pending before the Chief Education Officer. Complaints from many schools were pending before the education officials, he said.
T. Rajendhiran , Chief Education Officer, said: “We have enquired into the complaints from parents and the reports have been sent to the Directorate of Matriculation Schools, Chennai. The Directorate have to take a decision on this.”
Mr. Rajendhiran said that the school managements would be given guidelines to reach a consensus with the parents on the issue at a meeting for principals to be convened on May 21.
The Inspector of Matriculation had taken action to resolve disputes between the management and parents of two matriculation schools in the city this week following protest from parents.
R. Visalakshi, president, Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, said that the many school managements were facing financial difficulty as the fee structure fixed was much lower than the expenses incurred by them.
According to her, the fee structures fixed recently by Tamil Nadu Private Schools Fee Determination Committee headed by Justice S.R. Singaravelan for schools whose names were not included in the first two lists issued by the Committee were too less. The hearings, for representatives of parents and management of schools in the district, on the fee issue before the Committee is underway.
“The association have decided to make a representation to the Government on behalf of schools that were allotted fee structures which were insufficient to cover the expenses incurred by the managements in running the school,” Ms. Visalakshi said.
