Tab trend fuels fee hike fears in city

HYDERABAD: High-end city schools have it all. Air-conditioned smart classrooms with touch screen blackboards, ergonomic furniture and pasta for lunch. And they just can't stop adding to the list of classroom must-haves - the latest step makes it mandatory for students between class VIII to X to become Tab-friendly.

Well, if the Akash Tablet can be introduced in government schools, why not private schools embrace the same novelty, it is asked. But with a price tag of Rs 8,000, parents aren't looking forward to slipping the gadget into their child's bag just yet. School managements maintain that the gadget will prove to be an effective learning tool that digitizes homework and classroom lessons. Some schools have even asked their students to get tabs even before the start of this summer vacation. As for the rest, they say that tablets will be introduced at the beginning of the coming academic year in June.

Schools such as Meridian in Banjara Hills and Silver Oaks in Bachupally have already announced the move to take on tabs as classroom aids. Even Oakridge International School (Bachupally), Jubilee Hills Public School and Delhi Public School (Diamond Point) too are seriously considering introducing the gadget in their classrooms. While at Meridian, students from classes VIII to X will be using the device, Silver Oaks has introduced it in class IX.

While tablets manufactured by a city-based technological solutions company are priced at Rs 8,000, much lower than that of the Ipad, whose induction in a Mumbai school recently kicked up a storm, parents feel that this gadget is an extra expenditure which will not serve any purpose.

For one, they say that the introduction of tabs will not reduce the weight of the schoolbag as children will have to carry their notebooks and textbooks to school anyway. Most publishers are yet to come out with e-book versions of their textbooks so the tabs will carry only related learning materials like concept maps, animated diagrams and homework applications. Applications which might divert the attention of children, like games and other entertainment tools, will not be available in these tablets.

Parents are predictably worried about the expenditure. "Schools hiked fees by 25% a couple of years back to put together smart classrooms providing the best teaching and learning solutions. Now, they are forcing us to buy tabs all in the name of providing quality education. They seem to have a myopic vision of what education is," said Ramnik Kaur, a parent.

However, Hyderabad Schools' Parents' Association (HSPA) has condemned the move. "Tabs and other gadgets are not good for children as constant use can affect their neck and spine," said HSPA's Kamal Malliramani.

Parents pointed out that there was no replacement clause in the agreements signed with the schools and, hence, any damage to tablet would have to be repaired at their own expense. "The tab could very well get damaged or malfunction but it is not clear whether it will be replaced," a parent said, fearing the extra expenditure that would entail. Schools, however, said that advances in the digital field would have to sooner or later be adopted in classrooms. "The government is thinking of introducing Akash Tablets in government schools to facilitate learning. The device will help students learn even while they are on the move.

"Moreover, in the years to come, more and more publishers are expected to embrace the e-book format so, eventually, the weight of schoolbags will also lessen," said Usha Reddy, principal, Meridian School. She added that about three-fourths of the students in question had already purchased the tab with parents finding the initiative interesting enough to back it.

Seetha Murty, principal, Silver Oaks, said: "Parents have not complained about the move (to introduce tabs) as they think that it is a good educational tool." The management of Oakridge International School revealed that they have already organised a demonstration of the tab and on April 28 would take a call on whether to introduce the device or not.

Jubilee Hills Public School has got its academic committee to do a feasibility study and intends to introduce the gadget once the cost-factor is negotiated. "The tabs will change everything right from the weight of the schoolbag to the method of learning. We will introduce it somewhere down the line," said Shailaja Gopinath, principal, DPS, Diamond Point.

Some schools, like Geetanjali School, Glendale Academy and Pallavi Model School, though have decided to reject such a proposal. "Two years back we had introduced the tab but it was not made compulsory. Just 10% of the students had opted for it and the move did not excite too many parents," said an official from Pallavi Model School.
 
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A for admission fee

The spectre of donation is haunting parents once again. It is that time of the year when parents run around in search of a school that can provide quality education without charging an astronomical sum as ‘admission’ fee. The fleecing is there in almost all schools, only the amount varies in proportion to their individual clout.

Pelli chesi choodu, illu katti choodu is a Telugu saying (meaning, perform a marriage or build a house to know onerous responsibility) that every parent must have heard at least once in their lifetime. If we go by the present situation in regard to school admissions, one may well add - kotha admission chesi choodu to the saying.

Getting admission in a good school that has an affordable fee structure is like chasing a mirage. Try as much as you want, still you cannot escape shelling out huge sums as admission fee. This amount is non-refundable and it urrently ranges from `15,000 – `1,00,000.

The whole process takes at least a couple of months. Parents need to get the prospectus from at least five or six schools and what makes it even more difficult is that there are no standard regulations.

The admission procedure, rules, entrance exams, interviews and the type of questions differ from one school to another. Finally, the interactive session with the managements of schools is something that can be a harrowing experience.

Alok, a parent, asks, “Why should I answer questions? I know my responsibilities. Questions on family background are something I detest. I had to attend interviews and take my kid to different schools on different dates. I lost 10 working days.”

Apart from spending a huge sum at the time of new admission, the annual school fee, transport and others can cost between `25,000-60,000 annually in most schools. When it comes to international schools that offer International Baccalaureate (IB) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) syllabus, then the annual fee can range anywhere between Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 4,00,000, depending on the school and its reputation.

Ramesh Patnaik, organising secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Save Education Committee (APSEC), says, “According to the 1/1994 AP Government Act, 50 percent of the fee collected has to be used for teachers’ emoluments, 15 per cent for teachers’ retirement benefits, another 15 per cent for day-to-day expenditure, 15 per cent for school’s development and five per cent is at the discretion of the management.

“This year, schools have increased their fee from 18 to 100 per cent. Last year an international school, located at Kondapur, was charging `74,000. This year it has increased the amount to Rs 1,32,000. Some school managements went to the Andhra Pradesh High Court and obtained a stay on the GO 91.

As the government cannot intervene at the present juncture, the school managements are doing as they wish,” says Ravi Kumar, general secretary of the Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA).

B Parvesh, president of the Hyderabad Public School Ramanthapur Parents Association, says, “As per the 96-2006 GO-MS – school managements are allowed to collect Rs 1,500 as admission fee. HPS Ramanthapur and HPS Begumpet collect Rs 25,000 as admission fee and another Rs 5,000 as caution deposit.

The society is diverting the money to its corpus and the accrued yearly interest amounts to Rs 80 lakh per year.” He adds, “There is no explanation as to how the money is used. The society is sitting on Rs 12 crore.”

The money collected from admission fee is not shown as revenue. As per the Government Act 1994/1, 65 per cent of the fund is to be used for teachers’ salaries and welfare. The parents association has been fighting for transparency in the society’s work.

M Somi Reddy, DEO of Hyderabad, says, “As the GO has been challenged, school managements are going about their work without any thought. The department is keeping an eye on school managements.”

 

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