Noida/Ghaziabad: Over 200 parents of students studying in several Noida and
Ghaziabad schools took out a protest march against the UP Self-Financed Institutions Independent Schools (Regulation of Fee) Bill from Gandhi Park in Ghaziabad to the collectorate.
The parents handed over a representation addressed to chief minister Yogi Adityanath to city magistrate Pradeep Dubey, who said it would be forwarded to the CMO.
The protesters asked the CM to consider their suggestions and objections on the bill. Parents had earlier objected to DPS Ghaziabad Society president Om Pathak's being part of the committee at the time of its constitution, and there being no representative from the parents' side in the committee.
Calling the proposed bill "anti-parent," the protesters raised slogans like, 'Schools are for community service. they are not industries,' 'We come to you for learning. But you just focus on earning,' and 'Stop making education a business'.
All India Parents Association members said despite giving suggestions to be included in the fee bill thrice, bill-makers totally ignored their demands.
When contacted, Om Pathak said he had only given inputs to the bill. "The bill has been uploaded on the UP Madhyamik Shiksha board's website in a transparent manner."
Some reports suggested that parents had heated arguments with the cops deployed outside the collectorate, but Dubey said the march was peaceful and there was no scuffle.
