Rosary protest spreads to 2nd school campus

MNS joins parents on Viman Nagar campus; school property damaged

MNS joins parents on Viman Nagar campus; school property damaged

A DAY after parents protested against fee hike outside Rosary School in Camp, a similar drama unfolded outside its Viman Nagar campus yesterday.

An angry group of parents gathered outside the Viman Nagar school campus and started shouting slogans against the school authorities and demanded the principal meet them.
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The parents were later joined by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists, who broke the school windows and damaged other property. Soon, the police had to be called in.

Parents protest at the Rosary School in Viman Nagar. The damaged windows

Case registered

Officials at Viman Tal police station said a case had been registered against the political workers who had indulged in vandalism.

On Sunday, parents had protested outside the Rosary school in Camp over fee hike.

"Last year the term fee was Rs 950, this year it is Rs 1,400. Even other fees have been hiked and a new component called development fee of Rs 300 has been added.
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For the last two years they have been hiking fees," complained a parent of a Std I student. Another enraged parent echoed the sentiment.

"What development fees are they charging? The school wall is broken since six months and its been held with the support of an tilting electric pole. Our children's lives are at risk and they chargr development fees," the parent said.

Two months ago, MiD Day was the first to report that the Rosary School authorities had issued a circular to parents proposing a fee hike for the coming academic year.
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At that time MiD Day had pointed out that it was illegal to hike school fees as the matter was sub judice. A representative of the management had then claimed that it was merely a proposal and the school would not hike its fees.

A March 4 government resolution states no private unaided school shall increase its fees till the next directive from the high court.

Meanwhile, Sunil Magar, deputy director (education), Pune region said a notice was being issued to the school.

The Other Side

Despite repeated attempts by visiting the school and calling on landline numbers of both the Camp and Viman Nagar campus, the management could not be contacted. The receptionist refused to transfer the phone call to the principal and asked MiD Day to contact the administrator, whose office did not respond.