Parents of students studying in the pre-primary section of the South Indian Welfare Society High School in Wadala have alleged that the school misinformed them about the fees at the time of admission. Over 50 parents protested outside the school premises on Monday morning.
Parents who enrolled their wards in Jr. Kg for the academic year 2013-14 paid Rs45,000 as fees, thinking the amount would cover two years, ie Sr Kg as well. However, on the day of admission in March 2013, they were given a letter which stated that they will have to pay Rs35,000 towards fees for Sr. Kg before March 15, 2014.
"My daughter studies in the school. I expected the fees to be around Rs40,000 for two years and, hence, enrolled my son there as well. I was shocked when I was asked to pay an additional Rs35,000 for the next year," said one of the protesting parents.
Justifying the school's position, its general secretary, KM Venkatesh, said, "Over 1,000 parents come to collect the form, so we don't disclose the fee during form distribution. We informed the parents whose wards were shortlisted for admission. They were informed last year itself so that they have enough time to pay the fees."
Another parent, who has taken a loan to pay the fees, said, "They informed us about the Sr Kg fees only after we paid the fees for the first year. When we asked for a way out, they said we could switch to another school but admissions in other schools were already done."
According to Venkatesh, even though the school is aided from the primary section, it requires funds for the infrastructure and safety of the students, which are not covered by the state grant. "Once a student joins us in pre-primary, s/he can stay with us until s/he is a postgraduate. Fees from Std I are as low as Rs8 per month. So this is a one-time investment for a child's education," he said.
The school will, however, hold a meeting with all the 14 trustees of the society and discuss the matter to work out a solution. "We will consider reducing the fees on sympathetic grounds, but it is a decision which needs the consent of all the trustees. So we will discuss it in our meeting on March 9," said Venkatesh.
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