KOLKATA: Schools have been witnessing a rush among parents to clear the pending fees for their children, especially after some of their children were struck off the rolls over non-payment, but many have been turned away over the past two days. The guardians are apparently requesting to pay 80% of the tuition and session fees, as calculated by themselves, and not according to what the schools have added up and put up on their websites. The parents are reportedly unwilling to pay for heads, like other essential charges, transport, refreshment, education activity and extra-curricular.
Refusing to budge from their stand, schools claimed they had offered a 20% waiver and that the new structure had been worked out with the help of legal teams and could not be changed.
Children of many parents who were turned away on Tuesday and Wednesday were struck off online classes, forcing the guardians to return on Thursday to pay the amounts charged by schools. They made the payments but reportedly not without protests. The refrain was they were being forced to pay for the sake of their kids, though they had suffered heavy losses and the high court had allowed them a breather. Meenakshi Jhawar’s twin daughters were de-rostered from Class VIII at G DBirla. “I went to pay according to what the HC said but I was refused. Our family has been in distress but the school refuses to heed my pleas,” she said. Similar cases were reported at Ashoka Hall and Mahadevi Birla World Academy. The three schools are run by the same group. Their spokesperson said, “We have done our calculations, offering much more than the 20% waiver... Parents have to pay according to the calculations put up on our websites.”
The mother of a Class I kid at a school on SN Banerjee Road, who has lost her job, complained “other essential charge” was introduced after fees were revised. “I paid till October but cannot pay for November and December. Moreover, the school is refusing to accept anything but what is there on the website.” Some parents at Calcutta Girls’ School said “other essential charge” of Rs 11,280 was introduced after removal of development, power back-up, curricular, educational project and subject fees. “We have been told we can’t pay unless we include the essential charge,” one of them said. Principal Basanti Biswas said, “Everything is there on the website and I will not comment beyond that.”
A parent at South City International School said, “The tuition fees before the court order was Rs 44,000 annually and there were several other heads. After the court order, the tuition fees have gone up to Rs 74,000 and the other heads removed. I requested to pay the old fee with a 20% waiver but I was not allowed.” Principal John Bagul said, “I can only ask parents to check the website and pay.”
“I begged I be allowed not to pay the transport and refreshment fees, but the school sent me back,” said a parent at Adamas International School.