GreNo: NEFOWA and NCR Parents Association protest against school fees hike

GreNo West: The parents of GreNo West are grappling with a hike in school fees and other related issues. After constant complaining and requesting authorities to pay heed to their plight, the parents have decided to take the matter to the streets. On the morning of May 1, 2022, NCR Parents Association and Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association staged a protest against the arbitrary manner in which the school authorities are acting when it comes to charging money under a number of heads.

Today @NcrParents n NEFOWA organised a symbolic protest with bulldozer-crane demanding our bulldozer baba for demolition of Shiksha Mafia n increase of fees. over 100 parents students protested in extreme heat against atrocities faced by them from erring schools.#schoolFeeHike pic.twitter.com/HWsqfauEIy

— NEFOWA (@nefowaoffice) May 1, 2022

Hundreds of parents came together to raise their voices against issues such as hikes in school fees and transport charges, irregularities in school transport facility guidelines and in EWS quota under the Right to Education. another point raised is the alleged coercion by many school management on purchasing books from private publishers instead of NCERT among others.

Abhishek Kumar, President, NEFOWA says, “We did a symbolic demonstration by polishing the boots against the increase in the school fees. After that, we gave the memorandum in the name of the Chief Minister but till now, we have not received any positive reply. We will continue our demonstrations till we get a solution to our problems.”

He continues, “Parents are already troubled by the impact of inflation and they will continue the agitation till the government withdraws the fees hike. If we have to go to Lucknow to plead our case with the Chief Minister, we will go.”

Sukhpal Singh Toor, President, NCR Parents Association says, “This is pure arbitrariness of the school authorities to raise fees makes no sense. What is the reason for hiking the fee? The schools should sympathise with the families, especially after the Covid waves. Instead, they are just hiking the fee."

He continues, "The fee was hiked maybe because everyone thought Covid is gone, but now again, the fourth wave is knocking on our doors. Schools are again closing and parents are still emerging from the financial crisis. In such a situation, the fee hike should be reversed and there should be a control on the transport charges.”

Jyoti Jaiswal, a parent from GreNo says, “My children have completed the studies. I am participating in this protest as my social responsibility. The school is asking the parents to pay transport fees in advance. All parents are shocked by the recent death of a student on a school bus in Ghaziabad. The school transport committee is a concept only on papers.”

Rupam Singh, another parent says, “The rising inflation, the school fees have made our lives difficult. Petrol, diesel, and CNG prices are increasing and now the schools are also following the same path. School management is now totally commercialised and they do not care about the problems that parents face with these schools' hike in fees.”

Pallavi Gupta, another parent who is also a teacher, says, “As a teacher by profession and a mother too, I can feel the pain of both, but I am strictly against the education system and the way they force us to take only their book set.”

Sumil Jalota, another troubled parent says, “My children study in a premium school of Grenowest. They asked us to purchase only their study material. I did not want to purchase a senseless thing given in that book set but the teacher insisted on it. Later, I wrote a mail to the principal that I better donate this particular thing to someone needy as my child doesn’t need it. The principal later gave us our money back. I want to ask why it has to be so difficult. Where is simple teaching gone? Where are NCERT books gone?”

Vikash Katiyar, Vice President, NEFOWA while talking about the future plans of the parents and the association, says, "If the solution is not found soon, then the parents will be forced to sit on hunger strike. We will once again meet the DM and public representatives so that the problems of the parents can be resolved at the earliest."