Schools raise fees by up to 60 per cent in slowdown year, leaving parents shocked and angry
Schools raise fees by up to 60 per cent in slowdown year, leaving parents shocked and angry
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Some schools have doubled their tuition fees. Managements tell parents to expect a yearly hike of 10-15 per cent, but 40 and 60 per cent fee hikes are being seen as horribly insensitive in a year of pay and job cuts. At Deccan International School, parents protested the hike in fees for primary school students from Rs 25,000 to Rs 32,500. MiD DAY's persistent efforts to contact its management, over three days, met with no success.
Presidency School in R T Nagar has increased its monthly fee from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800.
Innisfree House School has announced a 32 per cent hike in term fees, paid once in four months, for primary school students. Children of class 5 have to now pay Rs 14,400 per term (paid once in four months) compared to Rs 10,900 last year. Again, its staff couldn't put us on to anyone who could explain the increase.
Delhi Public School has hiked the term fee (paid once in three months) for high school students from Rs 4,900 to Rs 6,150. Kumarans School was charging Rs 36,000 as a total fee inclusive of all expenses for children going from class 5 to 6. This year they are charging Rs 43,100 as tutuion fee, Rs 10,000 for bus and Rs 5,000 for books and uniform."That they increased fees at such a time is what makes it insensitive," said a Kumarans parent. National Public School has different fee structures at different branches. This year they have announced an 8 per cent hike in the annual fee. Admissions for a kindergarten class this year will set you back by a good Rs 65,000.
"Parents are afraid of job losses. It is not easy to pay higher fees this year," said Ramya K, whose two children study at National Public School.
Association take
"Schools can hike their fees by 10 to 15 per cent every year, and new schools can charge higher fees... But the ICSC and CBSC schools which have hiked their fees by more than 30 per cent this year should justify their reasons to their central board councils in Delhi," said Krishna Iyer president of Karnataka Association of Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools.u00a0 The Karnataka education minister has promised to step in and help parents, but Krishna Iyer was sceptical the state government could do anything in the matter of fee
structures.
"Nevertheless, schools have to follow guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, which state that schools should keep in mind the economic status of parents when they increase their fees. Schools cannot flout this guideline," he said.
u00a0Fee hikes: How much, where?
>>Deccan International School: Rs 25,000 to Rs 32,500 (30%)
>>Presidency School tuition fee:u00a0 Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800. (30%)
>>Innisfree House School term fee: Rs 10,900 to Rs 14,400 (32%)
>>Delhi Public School term fee: Rs 4,900 to Rs 6,150 (25.5%)
>>Kumarans School: Rs 36,000 (all inclusive) class 5 to 6 last year.
This year, it is Rs 43,100 (tuition fee), Rs 10,000 (bus) and Rs 5,000 (books and uniform). (61%)
Minister seeks info
Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri said he would gather information before deciding what to do. "I will find out which schools have hiked their fees. I have to see whether our department has received any complaints. Once I have all the details, I can initiate action," he told MiD DAY.
What is the legal position on fee hikes?
M F Saldanha, former high court judge, said, "There is a substantial increase, which is not right. A reasonable increase is always permissible."
He said parents would find it difficult to pay high fees in a slowdown year.
He said the government had the authority to step in and question educational institutions. "I remember, few years ago in Mumbai, private schools went to court when parents objected to a fee increase. The court gave a judgment that the schools had the right to charge as they pleased, but I was against that judgment," he told MiD DAY.
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