More than 20 students of Delhi Public School (DPS) Dwarka are allegedly not being allowed inside their classrooms since school resumed after summer vacation on July 1. Parents claimed the action followed their refusal to pay the revised fee, which they say was increased “without following Directorate of Education (DoE) norms”. They alleged their children are being “segregated” and their names have been struck off from the rolls.
Several parents who The Indian Express spoke to claimed the “segregation” is being experienced by their children studying in secondary school and not the younger children.
Calls and messages to the Principal of DPS Dwarka, Priya Narayanan, did not elicit any response over the matter. When contacted, B K Chaturvedi, chairman of the DPS Society, refused to comment.
In May, the school removed 13 students from its rolls over non-payment of the increased fee. Then, the Directorate of Education (DoE), in a letter to the school principal, stated that “Delhi Public School… is running on land allotted by DDA under stipulated conditions in their allotment letter (and) is required to seek prior approval of the Director of Education before any fee hike.”
“The DoE is in receipt of various complaints from parents… wherein it has been alleged that the school is demanding increased fees from parents and is striking off names of their wards from school rolls,” it stated, adding that DPS should “comply with directions issued by the DoE… and there should not be any harassment or injustice to the students in the interest of justice.”
On June 28, DPS Dwarka sent an email to parents of over 20 students notifying them that their children’s names would be struck from records if they did not pay the revised fee.
“The school vide email dated 19.04.2024 issued show cause notice in terms of Rule 167 (3), Delhi School Education Act & Rules, 1973, to you on account of non-payment of school fee for April 2024 of your ward… However, considering the best interests of your ward, the school has granted sufficient time to deposit the outstanding school fee. Despite the extension of time, you have not paid the outstanding fee of your ward and further defaulted in making payment of school fee,” the email read.
“In view thereof, the name of your ward has been struck off from the rolls of Delhi Public School Dwarka on account of non-payment of fee w.e.f. 01.07.2024.” it further said. The fees were pending for April, May, and June, it said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a parent whose children are studying in Class 2 and Class 9 of the school, claimed, “This segregation is happening only with my elder child. My younger child is not being stopped from sitting in classes but my elder child is being made to sit in a chair in the library throughout the day.”
“A school staff follows my child even to the washroom to make sure he doesn’t enter his classroom. This has demotivated my son so much that we’ve stopped sending him to school,” the parent added.
Another parent, whose son is in Class 8, said, “The school is targeting specific parents and students who have raised their voices against the fee hike. This hike by the school is not as per DoE norms.”
Earlier in 2021, parents said they were paying the DoE-approved monthly fee which was Rs 7,785. This has now surged to Rs 14,700. “The school is raising the fee by 8-9% every academic year,” the parent said.
Another parent, whose two children study in classes 8 and 4, and had paid the increased fee by the school “under duress”, alleged, “Earlier, they made sure there were bouncers in school buses and near the gates to track children who have not paid the updated fee. They would stop those students from attending classes.”
Despite making the full payment, the parent alleged that he had been asked to pay more.
In its January 2016 order, the Delhi High Court had upheld the powers of the DoE to “interfere” if the fee hike was found to be excessive. It stated that “schools can’t indulge in profiteering and commercialisation of school education. Quantum of fees to be charged by unaided schools is subject to regulation by DoE in terms of the power conferred…”
[ad_2]
Source link
