Parents protest outside Gzb school over fee hike

Ghaziabad: The unending issue of unnecessary fee hikes by the private schools has resulted in striking off the names of 34 students of various classes by Presidium School in Indirapuram area of Ghaziabad. Following this decision, scores of aggrieved parents protested outside the school's main gate on Friday morning.

With holding placards and raising slogans against the school administration, the parents continued their agitation for over two hours. The parents turned violent when they were not allowed to enter the premises. They alleged the arbitrary fee hike as extortion and said that the school has hiked the fees over unnecessary charges.

The school has issued transfer certificates (TCs) to 34 students of various classes after their parents allegedly failed to pay up the hiked fee. The move came after the 'arbitrary' fee hike issue over which the parents and associations have held various protests, refusing to pay the fees.

The agitated parents then met Ghaziabad administration officials on Wednesday and Thursday and also requested the district inspector of schools (DIOS) to intervene. Concerned over their ward's wasted school days, the parents then led a protest outside the school on Friday morning.

"We just demanded the justification of annual charges and other fees structure from the school but they denied. The school disobeyed the CBSE rules and Bye-laws, Article 21A of the Constitution in particular and of Section 16 of the RTE Act in general. Our children are targeted in particular. Striking off child's name in the mid-session is a very callous thing to do and is totally against the child's right to education. It can have serious impact on the child's mind," said a parent from Presidium School.