The protest, organised by Forum for fairness in education (FFE), a city-based NGO working in the field of education, is going to urge the state officials to take strict action against schools that do not comply with the fee regulation norms set by the state.
Close to two hundred parents from more than seventeen schools in the city are planning to hold an indefinite hunger strike on April 20 in Azad Maidan to pressurise the government into taking action against fee hikes and various illegal charges levied by private schools.
The protest, organised by Forum for fairness in education (FFE), a city-based NGO working in the field of education, is going to urge the state officials to take strict action against schools that do not comply with the fee regulation norms set by the state. "We have been receiving several complaints from parents of various schools in the city that have hiked their fees beyond permissible limits. Despite several complaints to the state education department, there has been no action taken against these schools. Some schools are also resorting to illegal means to extort money from parents by making it mandatory for them to buy books, stationery etc from the school, sometimes without giving them a receipt. We will take up all these issues" said Jayant Jain, President, FFE.
Parents said that they have decided to come together as their individual attempts to fight the school have failed. At a meeting on April 10 at FFE's Dadar office, parents raised several issues with respect to fee hikes, additional charges for stationery, books, activities. "We have been individually raising issues about a sudden increase in fees and the additional charges in our respective schools. However, despite filing several complaints, most of us have not been successful in getting any response. We have thus decided to collectively fight against private schools" said a parent from a Kandivli school on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, a large number of parents have written to Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Twitter requesting the minister to take action against schools that are not following norms laid by the Fee Regulation Act of 2011. Last week, the minister had assured parents that a meeting would be held with all the stakeholders including parents and school managements to address their issues.
The legalities
As per the Maharashtra Fee Regulation Act of 2011, schools can hike their fees only up to 15 per cent every two years
The Maharashtra Prohibition of Capitation Fee Act, 1987 considers charges levied under unapproved heads as a criminal offence
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