Protest against school fee hike in Kochi

KOCHI: Hundreds of parents marched to the Toc-H Public School,Vyttila, protesting against what they alleged was the exorbitant hike in fees for the coming academic year. They staged a dharna demanding a withdrawal. The parents also gheraoed the school principal, N M George.

The parents alleged that the fees for different classes were hiked by more than double , something other schools in the city have not done. Following the protest, the school management called their representatives for talks. However, with the management remaining steadfast on retaining the increase, the talks failed.
The parents also alleged that the school management had been increasing the fees every year unilaterally and always discouraged formation of a parent-teacher association at the school.

The parents, who called a meeting last Friday, decided to protest and hold a dharna. With Tuesday’s talks failing, the management has called another meeting with representatives of the parents this Friday.

The representatives of the parents said that the strike would be intensified if the management did not withdraw the unprecedented hike. Representatives of various political parties arrived at the school offering support to the agitation.

Meanwhile, School Principal N M George told DC that only 25 to 35 percent overall hike in annual fees has been effected by the management. “We agreed to drop the hike in all other fees except the tuition fee. The hike in tuition fee alone comes to around 60 percent annually which is unavoidable. The annual concession now offered comes in the range of Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000,” he said.

He also said that the parents had been offered lighter instalment options to pay the fee. “They have been called for another meeting on Friday and it will be discussed then. In fact only a section is protesting,” he added.

State helpless, says ex-minister

Former Education Minister M A Baby said that there were no instruments in the hands of the State Government to rein in CBSE schools in the state. “The State Government only gives the NOC for starting a school and when we had tried to set conditions before starting such schools, the then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal threatened that a law would be enacted to take away such powers of the state,” Baby said.

He also added that a meeting  should be called to bring all such institutions under the public education system of each state.     “Then only can the state effectively control them from hiking fees arbitrarily,” he added.  CBSE regional director Mahesh Dharmadhikari was unavailable for comments though a school official said that the CBSE allowed schools to charge fees according to the facilities they provided.