Now, school picnic and field trips to get costlier by Rs 100: ETOA

Following School Bus Owner's Association (SBOA) increasing fees by Rs 75 per month per child, Educational Tours Operators Association of Maharashtra (ETOA) have decided to increase school picnic and field trip cost by Rs 100 per day per child putting more burden on parents of school-going children. However, the Forum for Fairness in Education feels these charges are unreasonable.

The decision has been taken with fuel price on the rise. Anil Garg, President of ETOA, said, "If the trip is for five days — be it a field trip or an educational trip — Rs 100 extra will be charged per day for each child. If the trip is for more than five days, the hike will be more. Our association has taken this decision after an increase in fuel price. The charges will be applicable till May next year."

Echoing the sentiments of Garg, Rohan Bhatt, Chairman, Children's Academy group of schools, said, "If the fuel prices remain high, we may also charge students 10 per cent extra for trips and picnics depending on the distance."

While the school bus operators claim the increasing fuel prices have forced them to charge extra from students for field trips, president of the Forum for Fairness in Education, Jayant Jain feels that the hike is unreasonable. "Increasing the amount that the ETOA charge for field trips and picnic is unreasonable. They should justify the hike. According to my calculation, children are not taken that far for picnics and hence per child should not be charged more than Rs 10 extra for the same."

UNREASONABLE

Calling the hike unreasonable, president of the Forum for Fairness in Education said that the ETOA should justify the move