Fee hike: Govt to rescue of parents in Gurgaon (ToI, New Delhi)

GURGAON: In what has come as a relief for the parents of Delhi Public School (DPS) students in Gurgaon, the district administration has asked them to deposit the old fee with the school and said they could do so through demand drafts. Gurgaon sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Shakti Singh made the suggestion after the parents alleged that the school was refusing to take the old fee and that the institution had not rolled back its fee hike.
The SDM had asked schools not to implement the hiked fee structure from April at a meeting of representatives from approximately 50 schools and parents bodies on March 30. He had asked private schools to present their detailed expenditure by April end and till that time schools were asked to avoid implementing the new fee structure.
However, affected parents alleged that the school management had hiked the tuition fee, bus fee and arrears. "The fee book issue by the school also has a caution notice to parents warning them that if we fail to pay the revised fee by the due date, the school shall charge Rs 100 as penalty per day. They have also warned if students do not pay the enhanced fee by the month end their names would be struck off the rolls,'' alleged an affected parent.
Parents also complained that the school did not display Form-6 and a copy of their expenditure (balance sheet) on their notice board and neither gave a copy to parents as was decided on March 30 meeting.
Singh said, "I have asked the district education officer to look into the matter. But going by the parents' complaints and proofs, it is a clear case of mistrust between the school management and parents since as it was decided in the meeting that no private school would increase the fee before a final decision is taken involving school management and parents.''
Meanwhile, chairman, DPS managing committee, (Gurgaon), Pramod Grover said that he was not aware of the developments since he was out of the city. "I have been told by the principal that they are formulating a new fee structure. We will get to know in a few days,'' he added.