Goregaon schools to split fee hike

Almost a month after parents of two schools in Goregaon protested against a 30% fee hike from the next academic year, the institutions have decided to split the hike and spread it over the next two years.

Parents of students studying in Gokuldham school and Yashodham school had alleged that the school had misled them into giving consent to an unjustified fee hike for the next two years.

On Monday, the school decided to split the hike. “We were called for a meeting and told that instead of a 30% fee hike starting next academic year, the hike will be split. We were made to sign on an attendance-cum-consent sheet,” said a parent whose child studies in Gokuldham school.

Both the schools are managed by the Goenka and Associates Educational Trust. “On the insistence of the parents, we have decided to split the fee hike into two. The fees for Gokuldham High School will be 15% each year and that that for Yashodham will be 15% in the first year and 20% the next year,” said a member of the school management.

Earlier, the school had declared that after the 30% hike from 2014-2015, it would not hike the fees for the next two years. However, the parents are unhappy with the decision. “A 4 to 5% hike is acceptable. But when the management is making profits, they cannot hike the fees without justifying,” said the parent.

The parents have started a signature campaign against the decision. “We have taken signatures of 800 parents. We’ll ask the management to conduct a meeting,” said a parent.