HB Kapadia fee hike protest continues

Ruckus over the fee hike continued at the HB Kapadia school as parents and school authorities indulged in claims and counter-claims on Saturday, the third day of the parents’ protest on the issue.

The day began with some parents trying to stop a few students from attending school. They were not even being allowed to enter the campus. While parents at a press conference alleged that the school authorities had called up students post-midnight and threatened to expel them, the school authorities said no teacher from their school had made such a call.

Parents also alleged that the school authorities had not even provided them with the break-up of the fee structure i.e. tuition and other fees. “When they cannot give the break-up, how can they say that the fee hike is less than 10 per cent. As per norm, a school can increase fees by only 10 per cent of the tuition fee,” said one of the parents.

Significantly, the school authorities have decided to increase the fee by Rs1,000 instead of the Rs2,000 decided upon earlier. This means that from around the Rs16,500 charged earlier, the fees have come down to Rs15,500 after reduction. Last year, it was around Rs14,500.

At a hurriedly called press conference during the day, managing trustee of the school, Muktak Kapadia, justified the fee hike of Rs1000 stating the expenses the school had to bear. “But I have repeatedly said that if parents do not want a smart board, we will do away with this. Still, we have to increase the fees for smart board as technology changes and also we have to purchase new software with the changing syllabus,” he said.

Kapadia said the school authorities looked forward to resolving the issue with the parents at a meeting on Monday. Reacting to derogatory comments made by staff and teachers about parents, Kapadia said the school authorities will take strict action against the concerned teachers.