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Parents of Dahisar school students file complaint against 'illegal' fee hike

They want a refund of all the extra charged to them as fee hikes since 2014 as, they say, the increases were without PTA approval and hence illegal. They have also lodged a complaint with the Forum for Fairness in Education (FFE) and also signed a petition.

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Parents of students studying in Rustomjii International School, Dahisar (West), are protesting against the school authorities, alleging that they have hiked the fees up to 40% and that too without holding a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting. They have filed a complaint with the deputy director of school education and sought his intervention.

They want a refund of all the extra charged to them as fee hikes since 2014 as, they say, the increases were without PTA approval and hence illegal. They have also lodged a complaint with the Forum for Fairness in Education (FFE) and also signed a petition.

"Either the school authorities refund the money they have taken illegally, or they will be sent to jail. What the management has done is completely wrong," said Jayant Jain, FFE president.

Other allegations against the school are that the students have to buy books, uniform and stationery items compulsorily from the school at a cost higher than the market price. Every year, they also allegedly hike the bus fees by 10% and when there is a delay of even a day in the payment of school fees, a fine of Rs500 is taken. Parents also alleged that at the time of admission they have to pay Rs50,000, besides exam fees of Rs10,000 per subject for Std X students. The parents had also tried talking to the school management, but they say their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Parents also claimed that they are finding it very difficult to meet the school's demands every year and if that continued many would not be able to afford it.

A parent said, "Till date, the school has not formed a PTA executive committee and has been taking all the important decisions on its own without even consulting the parents; this is unlawful."

However, according to Tanya Valecha, principal of Rustomjee Cambridge International School and Junior College, who replied via mail, "We hereby inform you that till date we have not received any complaint either from the parents or the education department. We have followed the High Court order which has allowed schools to hike fee by 15%. Our primary section fees, from Grade 1 to Grade 5 have been hiked by only 10%. Similarly our secondary section fees, from Grade 6 to Grade 10 have been hiked by 10% only. With regards to school prescribed books and uniforms, parents buy the books at MRP which is printed on the textbooks. Books/uniforms are not a compulsion, but a facilitation and the parent body has welcomed the convenience." (sic)

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