- Demands complete fees irrespective of court orders,
- GO46 (April 20-21) disregarded by corporate school managements
- Humiliations to parents and kids by managements
- Government should intervene, demands Parents Association of India
Hyderabad: The harassment by corporate schools management has been increasing by the day in Hyderabad on parents for the payment of total fee for the academic year 2020-21. The management was insisting on parents to pay complete fees if they want the process report cards and for promotion to next class. They are humiliating kids and their parents in the presence of other children and their parents which is making the children to take to untoward steps.
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Bowenpally St. Andrews School, is an example :
This school stood as an example of the demanding corporate management harassing the parents. Two girls (not mentioning names due to their career problem in future) of St. Andrews School, Bowenpally branch, who are studying 9 th class attended parents’ meet on Saturday along with their parents. These two girls’ parents paid the admission fee as per the Court Order, but the school management, in the presence of all parents and classmates of the kids, insisted to pay the complete fee. They also warned that progress report cards will not be issued and will not be promoted to next class, if they don’t pay rest of the fee.
What a humiliation? The sensitive students suddenly went missing from the school after this incident took place. Parents of the kids and Parent Association Members along with police finally found them on the main street of East Maredapally near Shenoy Nursing Home. Parents lodged a complaint against the school management for harassment. Everyone had a sigh of relief on their faces after the girls were found.
What Does GO 46 says?
GO 46(April 21, 2020) stated that school fee should be collected accordingly (as prescribed in the GO) and should be followed strictly. This GO was given by Two Judge Panel, comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijasen Reddy. This GO was the result of the writ petition filed by Hyderabad School Parents Association challenging organising online classes and collection of full fee.
The Government informed the High Court that schools will be opening from February 1st, but Court ordered that no other fee should be collected in violation of GO 46, even after reopening of schools.
Government warned Private Schools, but in vain:
Government gave strict orders to private school managements not to hike fee and warned them of my cancellation of their recognition and No Objection Certificate (NOC) for affiliation, and other legal actions, if they do so. This order was passed by Special Chief Secretary Chitra Ramachandran who said that order is applicable to all private unaided recognised schools in the State, which are affiliated to State Board, CBSE, ICSE and other International Boards.
When Will Govt wake up:
Even after these orders were passed, the harassment in private schools appears to be continuing with impunity and scant respect for the GO. Commissioner for school Education, Ch. Ramana Kumar, issued call centre for grievance and urged that disposal of the complaints should to be lodged within 24hrs, but there is no response from the department after hearing or looking at the cases of the private schools insisting on full fee payments. The parents association expressed its anguish that Government just releases GO, but would not take action even after incidents like Andrews School come to its notice. They urged Educational Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy to look into the matter, before another incident like Yashaswini (10th class), who committed suicide a few days back after her school management harassed her by insisting that she should not attend classes until full fee is paid, takes place.
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