Aggrieved parents criticise non-transparent fee structure of private schools in Gurugram

GURUGRAM: Thousands of parents in Gurugram have united against various private schools in the city for levying high tuition fees.

With the schools already starting online classes, the parents allege that the management of these schools has issued fee bills with the arbitrary hikes of 15 to 20 per cent.

The parents allege that in addition to the tuition fee various components like building and maintenance fund, infrastructure fee, activity and event fee are being added to the tuition fee.

Some of the prominent schools on which such allegations have been leveled at public forums include Shiv Nadar School, DPS-Sushant Lok, Manav Rachna, Presidium School, Narayana e-techno school, St. Xavier school, Bharat Ram Global School and Kunskapsskolan.

It is not for the first time when the non-transparent fee structure of Gurugram private schools have resulted in parents protesting against the management. However, with no action being taken by the private school management to rectify such acts during the lockdown, the aggrieved parents have not shied away from calling the management insensitive.

With protests of parents in Gurugram are only increasing day by day. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also intervened in the matter and has instructed the management of the private schools to collect tuition fee in a fair and transparent manner.

According to the parent bodies, the management of the educational institutions are taking advantage of not having a uniform fee structure.

"In Gurugram, there is no uniform fee structure for the private schools. Every private school has its own definition of tuition fees. The State government needs to as the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee to demand affidavits of all private schools seeking explanation of the funds they need for the functioning of the school during and post lockdown," said Atul Gulati, one of the aggrieved parents.

Gurgaon Parents Association, a body that has been protesting against the non-transparent fee hike stated: "Gurgaon Parents Association is not against teachers. We are against the school management which is running school only for profits and have made education a form of profitable business."