Shimla, Dec 10
Student Parents Forum Himachal Pradesh (Chatr Abibhavak manch) has decided to intensify the agitation against the recovery of all other types of charges besides tuition fees by private schools. In a press release issued here today, the forum has warned the Education Director that indefinite agitation will start from December 15 if they do not stop recovery of all types of charges within the next four days and fees raised by private schools in the year 2020.
The convenor of the forum Vijendra Mehra has demanded the Director of Higher Education to immediately cancel the anti-student and parent notifications of November 10 and December 8, 2020, and issue a fresh one banning all other types of charges in addition to tuition fees of private schools. He cautioned the Director of Education that the movement would intensify if he did not stop the extraction of extra fees for private schools in 2020. He has appealed to a total of sixteen lakh people, including one million parents of six lakh students studying in private schools, to completely boycott payment of full fees to private schools.
He termed the decision to recover full fees as a shocking anti-student and anti-parent decision.
About 8th Dec notification – PTAs and school managements to decide fee
He called the education director’s notification of 8 December 2020 as a step to increase the arbitrariness of private schools. He said that in this notification the school PTA and management have been authorized to make decisions regarding fees. When the school did not run and the General House was not organized, then when, how, and where did the PTA for this year got elected, questioned the forum. Mehra said that all this is happening to give recognition to the Dummy PTAs to justify the move by private schools and thus to collect all types of charges through those Dummy PTAs.
Forum could press ‘Contempt of Court’ charges
Mehra further also appealed to the State High Court to intervene in the matter of collection of full fees by private schools and take action against the State Government and the Director of Education for contempt of court orders. The state government and education department are misinterpreting the decision of the High Court and giving exemption to private schools in the name of High Court order only to suit their convenience. He further stated that “If the director Education does not clear about the messages sent by private schools in violation of orders by the State High court and Education department, then contempt of court case will be pressed on State government, Education department and private schools. He has asked the Director of Education to take strict action against the mental harassment by private school administrations in the name of increased fees, annual charges, computers, smart class rooms, sports, miscellaneous, care and other charges, etc.
