Parents of Podar International School Nerul staged protest in front of the school premises on Saturday against the alleged hike in tuition fees. Parents also alleged that the school forced them to buy books and stationery from a particular shop.
According to parents, the issue is pending for over two years and so far, the school management has given only assurances.
During the pandemic, students attended classes online. So, the state government had directed to collect only tuition fees. However, parents alleged that the school management merged the term fees into tuition fees for the academic year 2021-22. This increased the tuition fees by around 26 percent.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, parents are repeatedly requesting the school management, but the school management only gave assurance.
Vikas Yashwante, one of the parents, said that the school management cited stay order from the court and showed inability to do much. Parents who demanded to roll back hiked fees were informed, “The subject matter case for reduction in school fees is in Bombay High Court. Please be rest assured that the Hon'ble Court's final decision on the GR, will be followed by the school.”
Other parents also alleged that the quality of education was compromised during pandemic, despite them paying complete fees. “School seems more interested in collecting fees and other charges instead of providing quality education,” said another parent.
Why shall parents pay for the services like electricity, stationaries, infrastructure of school they have not used? And, All the parents have incurred significant expenses by buying a separate laptop for each of their child, increasing internet speeds, and spending heavily on electricity bills. Will these be compensated by School?
Despite repeated attempt, the school management was not available to comment. Even a message sent to the principal to know the school's version on alleged fees hike did not elicit any response.
