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MUMBAI: The expulsion of 10 students from Vishwajyot High School in Kharghar has rekindled painful memories in parents who fought against fee hikes in their children’s schools but finally gave in and moved their wards to other institutions.

Mangesh Kadam is one such parent. Kadam’s struggle against the system started when he had to readmit his children-9-year-old twins Alpesh and Ankita-in class V in the same school after it raised the fee. “The school had hiked its fee by 60% in two years. I told the management to admit my kids as per the old fee and if the government allows the school to hike the fee, I will pay up the rest,” said Kadam. The school refused.

Kadam fought for a while but gave up and enrolled his children elsewhere after the state government authorized schools to raise their fees. “I’d rather pay the fee where it is worth,” said Kadam.

Cases like Kadam’s became common during the intervening period between the formation of the Bansal committee (which was set up to review school fee hikes) and the government order that allowed institutions to decide fee hikes.

Sunil Mhatre’s daughter lost one full academic year because of his protest against the fee hike. “I went to every possible education official and minister to get my daughter re-admitted to the school in Vashi. By the end of a year, the school handed us a leaving certificate and then we had no choice,” said Mhatre.

Mhatre’s daughter now studies in another Nerul school.

In the case of another parent, the school management denied admission to her daughter after accepting the fee. She received a letter from the school management a day before the school re-opened. “The letter mentioned that my daughter’s admission had been cancelled and they had also attached her leaving certificate along with the letter,” said the mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The mother has since staged protests against the school, filed petitions in the Bombay high court and met various education officials, but to no avail. “Even the court ordered me to get my daughter admitted to another school,” said the parent.

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This post was submitted by Chinmaya Nayak.

Thanks to timesofindia.indiatimes.com