Parents gather outside Ghaziabad DM's office on Tuesday
Parents in Ghaziabad once again came out in protest against “unjustified” hike in fees by schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). A group of parents under the banner of Abhibhavak Samajik Kalyan Samiti (ASKS) on Tuesday gathered outside the office of the District Magistrate (DM), Ghaziabad, seeking intervention by Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Smriti Irani, Union Human Resource Development Minister, on the issue.
They handed over a memorandum to the DM and said that if no action was taken against schools that have hiked fees, they would be left with no option but to sit on an indefinite dharna from April 26.
Kiran Sharma, president of ASKS, told City Spidey that fee hikes in private schools was not justified. She said, “Parents are forced to buy books, stationery and uniforms from shops located inside the schools at exorbitant rates. Apart from this, fee is being constantly hiked in the name of annual charge and building charge, but Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has said that private schools should not take any charge except for tuition fee.”
Sharma also said that as per orders of the Supreme Court and the state government, private schools are bound to give free education to 25 per cent students from backward classes and economically weaker sections of the society, but not a single school is adhering to the rule.
Sudesh Sharma, general secretary, ASKS, said, “We have handed over a list of 25 such private schools that have hiked fees without any justification.” He added that they have handed over a memorandum which they want to be forwarded to the Union HRD Minister, the Chief Minister of UP and the Governor of the state.
