Parents of 70 students of Universal High School, Dahisar, have been told that their children will be disenrolled for not paying the hiked school fees. The parents claim the fee was illegally hiked, but the school management says the hike was approved.
Tejasvini Purandare, mother of a Class 2 student at the school, said, “The fee for 2015-16 was close to₹86,000, this March, the fees was raised to ₹1,00,000. I sent cheques of the old amount, but they were returned: twice in April and May. In our meeting with Education Minister Vinod Tawde in April, we were told we had to pay the old fee amount. I have now received a letter saying my child will be debarred and I should collect a leaving certificate by May 29.” Twenty eight parents have received the official letter so far.
Jesus Lall, chairman of Universal High School, said, “The school increased the fees after due process of the law as per the amendment to the Fee Regulation Act (2011) in the High Court order of 2015.” The order said unaided schools are allowed to raise their fees in excess of the Act’s stipulated 15% every 2 years.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said, “95% of parents have paid the fixed fee. We have told them that the increased fee rate is the only way the school can afford to run.” A statement from Mr. Tawde’s office said, “No students will be suspended, or compelled to pay the hiked fees. We will look into it.”