Parents have been complaining about the fee hikes in city schools every year. Private schools are apparently not keeping with the government’s fee regulation policies and seldom is there any concerted action taken against these errant schools.
Several Pune parents have now decided to take these unjust hikes head-on and lodge protests to put a possible end to this never ending financial drain. Money is collected in the form of fees, or building funds and other ad-hoc reasons.
On each such occasion, the parents are forced to part with huge sums of money, for fear of their kids being hauled up for non-payment. As per the Maharashtra Educational Institution Act 2011, which was enforced from 2015 allows for schools to raise fees upto a maximum of 10% each year.
Pune365 spoke to a cross-section of parents and informed citizens on the allegedly unjust fee hikes and the impact, on their annual educational cost.
“The fees we paid for our college is similar to the fees we’re paying for our children’s school education! ” says Deepali Shivtare, Housewife.
My kids study in an ICSE school and their fees is already about one lakh a year. We belong to a middle class family and to be able to give our kids a good education. we have to pay a huge amounts and face financial difficulties
Apart from this, they also charge separate fees for co- curricular activities, scholarships, picnics and extra classes. What happened to all the big talk about providing quality affordable education in the interest of a better India?
Private schools have become a good business these days,” Pooja Rawal, an aggrieved citizen and parent.
The government has only approved fees hike upto 10% every year. Despite knowing this fact, we pay huge increases, every year. I have three children and their annual fees is 2 lakhs, which is half our annual income.
We really hope our State Education Minister will look into the matter on priority basis and save us this agony. Many parents have been forced to change their children schools due to this inappropriate hike,” she adds
A School Teacher (wished to remain anonymous) we spoke to said, “It is always said that a nation is built in the classroom, however, this is possible only when every child in the city, will get an equal opportunity to go to school.”
The ever-increasing fees is a major drawback in terms of the overall illiteracy rate in Pune. Along with teaching students, I also work for an NGO where I see so many talented students who are unable to pursue quality English medium education due to the high fees, these schools demand, she adds.
“I had to change my children’s school thanks to the increased fees. They now study in a government school,” says Bhagyashree Mulik, Housewife.
How are we middle class people going to afford it? if we spend all our savings in their school education, who is going to pay for their college in future,” she adds.
“School fees have already hit the sky and what will people like us do? I work as a maid to support my family,” says Rani Shelke,
I believe my daughter is a bright student and she aspires to become an IAS officer. Therefore, I know it’s important for her to have a good education, but her fees is fifty thousand a year and she is only in sixth grade.
We strive very hard to pay her fees and we are not demanding free education but atleast a subsidised amount. she adds.
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#All views expressed in this article are those of the individual respondents (some names changed on request) and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.
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