Parents call for "school bandh"

NEW DELHI, January 8: In the wake of the implementation of the 40 per cent fee hike by schools, the Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh (DAM) has cal...

NEW DELHI, January 8: In the wake of the implementation of the 40 per cent fee hike by schools, the Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh (DAM) has called for a "school bandh" on January 12.

DAM hopes to involve all the public schools in the city through their parent organisations. "We are contacting all the parent associations and are confident that a majority of them will join us. We are asking parents not to send their children to school," says Vijender Kumar, president of the Mahasangh. The only concession they are permitting is to those students taking their pre-board exams.

The schools are not very perturbed about the call. "The Mahasangh is a very small representation of the parents, most of whom have already paid the extra amount. There is no way that this bandh call is going to be successful," says T.R. Gupta, Chairman of the Action Committee.

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However, the Mahasangh is confident about the call. They are against the the notices circulated by the schools, informing parents of the arrears they have to pay from April 1997. "They have done this on the basis of the interim order of the High Court itself. They should have waited for the final hearing on January 14," the members argue.

As of now, they do not seem to be apprehensive about the second part of the notice which states that the names of the erring students will be struck off the rolls for non-payment by the due date. Accordingly, they have urged parents not to pay the fees till the final hearing of the Delhi High Court.

Several parents have complained about the lump sum they have to pay as arrears this month. "I have to pay Rs 1,776 by January 15 as part of my son’s fees. He is in class eight in Lancers Convent and the school has sent me circulars informing that the quarterly tuition fee hence forth will be Rs 1,110," says V.K. Batra.

In most cases parents have to pay between Rs 1,000 to 3,000 as arrears, depending on the class their child is in. Parents feel that in cases where they have to pay the amount in one installment, the amount is too steep.

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"All the schools have been told that the arrears should be collected over a period of at least two installments and most of them are doing that. Every school is working out the situation with the parents," says Gupta. The schools have fought their case on the "sound statistics" of the Fifth Pay Commission, which according to them are startling.

"The schools have no choice in the matter. As per the requirements of the Pay Commission, the 40 per cent hike is less than what is required. The parents have got a good deal," Gupta adds.