Parents of hundreds of students studying in an Indian school here have been protesting the "unjustified" whopping increase of 90% in the institution fee.
Parents of hundreds of students studying in an Indian school here have been protesting the "unjustified" whopping increase of 90 per cent in the institution fee.
The Dubai Modern High School, run by Padma Shree Sunny Varkey's GEMS Education, is in the eye of the storm for hiking fees by 90 per cent leading to parents gathering in droves outside the premises protesting the "unjustified" hike.
"Since it is an ICSE school, it has a sort of a monopoly and parents have no choice," said Shahid Ahmed, an Indian national whose two children have been studying at the school.
on Wednesday morning, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school to protest the decision to hike fees but the management refused to meet them.
Instead parents have been told that they can fill out a concession form which "might" be considered by the management.
"We are all the more disappointed because Sunny Varkey, the chairman of GEMS, has recently been awarded the Padma Shree by the government of India for work in the field of education," said Ahmed.
Another disgruntled parent, who chose to remain anonymous, said the school has been making education steadily expensive. "Two years ago, they had increased fees by 40 per cent. Then they outsourced school bus transport to a company, Bright Bus Transport, which was basically part of the same organization.
"They are probably doing this to collect funds for a five-star campus they are planning to open in Nad al Sheba locality of Dubai," he said.
The school has been trying to pacify parents since the hike was announced a few days ago. A circular sent to the parents on Tuesday laid down options and solutions for parents who cannot continue educating their children under the new fee structure and requested them to avoid assembling at the school as "it is affecting the students and teachers preparing for coming examinations".
Parents, however, say all this is being done at a time when admissions to all other schools are closed. Reiterating the reasons for the fee increase, the circular, signed by Dino Varkey, senior director of Business Development of GEMS, described it "as essential if GEMS is to meet the cost and continue to invest in quality teachers." The original fee increase of 110 per cent was reduced to 100 per cent following the parents' meeting with the principal on January 29, it
added.
It has apparently also made provisions for accommodating students at other schools under the group but has asked the parents who want to do so to apply for a transfer certificate (TC) not later than February 20.
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