Ggn private schools refuse to rollback exorbitant fees

It seems to be a long drawn fight for thousands of parents in Gurugram as the two private schools that were ordered to roll back their increased school fee have refused to do so.

While the management of Blue Bells School has decided to contest the order of the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee (FFRC) through legal means, another school DPSG Palam Vihar has refused to decrease the school fee.

Angry over the defiant approach by the management of the private schools, parents on Wednesday met the Divisional Commissioner D Suresh and shared their grievances that their children continue to be harassed by the school managements over non payment of fees.

After meeting the parents, the Divisional Commissioner, who is also the FFRC chairman, has called for a meeting between the parents and the DPSG school management on Thursday following which the future course of action will be decided.

Ironically, most of the secondary classes of the school are also not legally registered with the District Education Department.

After auditing the specific private schools, it was decided by the District Administration that the exorbitant increase of the school fee is arbitrary and unwarranted.

The administration thereby asked the management of the private schools to not only roll back the capitation fee but also refund the excess fee that was collected from the parents.

Citing enhancement of facilities for the students as well as implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, most of the private schools have justified the increase in the school fees.

The decision by the private schools, however, has been fiercely resisted by hundreds of parents who have been resisting against the unjustified and non transparent manner under which the fee amount has been increased.

"There is an education mafia that is prevalent. Most of the private schools are taking advantage of the fact that there is lot of demand and less of supply. Earlier they used to get away by exploiting parents but now its limit to which they are finally exploiting the middle class parents," said Rajesh Yadav, one of the aggrieved parents whose daughter is studying in DPSG school.