MUMBAI, April 5: Parents of children enrolled in the Gopi Birla Memorial School at Walkeshwar simply refuse to allow the "charitable educational institution" tutoring their wards to turn into a "commercial, profit-making private limited company". After all, if charity begins at home, shouldn't the classroom follow suit?About 300-odd parents representing the 1,400 students of the privately-run school have raised their collective voice against the 62-per cent fee hike in the forthcoming academic year, saying the school cannot force them to cushion expenses thrust upon the school by the Fifth Pay Commission.About 300-odd parents met on Saturday to draw up a battle plan to checkmate the fee hike, from Rs 7,800 to Rs 12,600 per year.In a circular dated March 23, 1998, the school intimated them of the revised fee structure "to enable the implementation of the newly increased salary scales of staff members in keeping with the requirements of the Fifth Pay Commission and to meet the increase in dearnessallowance payments corresponding to the new scales". The parents say fees were raised only two years ago, from Rs 4,860 to Rs 7,800, and want to know why the increment cannot cover the increased financial burden.Justifying the diktat, the school's administrative officer R S Malani told Express Newsline, "There was no hike for about four years prior to the one in 1996. The current hike will yield an additional Rs 56 lakh which will take care of the Rs 45 lakh burden imposed by the Pay Commission. The remaining money will be spent on annual hikes in dearness allowance, which amounts to 25 per cent this time. After all, we cannot increase the fees every year.""In March this year, we had to pay arrears worth Rs 25 lakh to our staff going by the Pay Commission recommendations", Malani adds.However, the parents are not convinced. In a letter to the school management dated March 25, 1998, they allege that the school is making profits (by cheating) on stationary and books and has made it compulsoryfor children to buy from the school shop. However, Malani, retorts: "We do not earn a single paise from these shops. Though we have made these arrangements for the benefit of parents, there is no compulsion to patronise these shops."The parents also say they have a right to scrutinise the school's statement of accounts which, they suggest. But, Malani says, no one has denied them this privilege. "The parents are free to check our files with Charity Commissioner and Income Tax officials," he points out.Since the school is governed by the Delhi-based Central Board of Secondary Education, he says it is not obliged to intimate the Maharashtra Education Department about its proposed fee hike, Malani explains, categorically refusing to revoke the hike. Meanwhile, the parents have decided to organise themselves to raise the pitch of their protest. They will assemble near the school on Monday to step up pressure and also approach the school's trustees and the state education minister.Though the outcome ofthe protest is yet uncertain, parents are sure of one thing: they will not submit to the fee hike. If the school still fails to yield, they say they will head straight to court.
