Fee hike: Parents’ association starts door-to-door campaign

RAIPUR: Protesting against exorbitant fee structure in private schools of the state capital, members of Chhattisgarh Chhatra Palak Sangh have started intensive door-to door campaign requesting parents not to pay fees.
The parents’ association condemned the unreasonable fee bike by private schools of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and state boards. Members of the association said that the administration’s directives of introducing National Council of Educational Research (NCERT) books in the school was also flouted.
Talking to TOI, parents’ association district president HA Rizvi said, “Education is not a luxury or business, it is a right. In past five years, our association supported the parent’s fight against the arbitrary fee hike by private schools. The issue was brought to the notice of chief minister and district education officers. I’ve record of more than 350 copies of memorandum submitted to the administration. Hence, as it did not evoke any response, we have sought to execute door-to campaign circulating information on legally approved fee structure.”

The members of parent’s association have raised five questions before the school authorities for hike in fees and claimed that if they receive satisfactory response, then parents will pay the fees.
The association cited orders of CBSE and state government which directs private schools – be it CBSE, CG Board or school affiliated to other boards for following NCERT books and take decision on fee structure after the approval of parents’ committees respectively.

The association organised a press meet at Press Club and a session with parents in Mahesh Colony. The signature drive organised by the association also received good response wherein 35 women supported the campaign.
Members of the association said that almost all the private schools in the state openly violated the orders of the district administration. They claimed that majority of private schools are prescribing books of private publishers instead of NCERT for hefty commission. Parents’ association pointed out that in the year 2016, Chhattisgarh government had asked the private schools to take into consideration consent of parents’ committee for taking any decision regarding fees. However, schools didn’t pay any heed to the directives.