Many schools in Bengaluru affiliated to Central boards have raised fees for the 2020-21 academic year despite the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) stating that they should not do so in light of the financial toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on families. Parents allege that they are under pressure to pay the fees with managements sending them constant reminders.
The hikes range from anywhere between 15 and 30%, and some schools are offering incentives, telling parents that they can claim a refund of 5-10% if they pay the fees in one instalment.
A parent whose two children are enrolled in a school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in north Bengaluru said that fees have been hiked by 26% for Class eight, and 30% for class six, respectively.
“In total, the hike is ₹60,000 for my son and daughter. My husband is a college lecturer, and there has been no increase in his salary. We just cannot afford such high fees,” she said, adding that she has been offered a 5% discount if she makes the payment in full.
Another parent whose son studies in class nine in a south Bengaluru school said that the management has hiked fees by 17%. “I work in a private company. Our salaries have been cut by 50%. I will have to take a loan to pay the fees by the end of the month,” he said.
Many parents have written to the management seeking an explanation for the fee hike, which is in violation of the government’s direction, but are yet to get a response.
A parent pointed out that as the department had said that schools could not force parents to pay the fees, the management has not specified a deadline for payment. “However, they said that they will not provide textbooks or allow students to attend online classes if we don’t pay up,” he added.
Some managements have not made changes to the fee structure for existing students, but have hiked the fees for new admissions.
Helpline to be launched
K.G. Jagadeesha, Commissioner for Public Instruction, said that parents can file a complaint with the jurisdictional Block Education Officer (BEO). “The department will launch a helpdesk for parents. They can call or send an email to the helpdesk. We will ensure that the school rolls back the fee hike,” he said.
Department officials admitted that they are aware of schools flouting their directions. “The Karnataka Education Act allows schools to hike fees by 15% each year, but that hike too is not allowed this year. However, some schools seem to have increased fees by over 15%,” said an official, reiterating that all schools, including those affiliated to the Central boards, are mandated to follow the department's orders with regard to the fee structure.
D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, said that their member schools had stated that they would not hike the fees during the lockdown. “But after the lockdown is over, we will have to assess the situation and take a call. The department could issue notices to schools if they were hiking fees during the lockdown.”
