'We Will Not Pay Arrears' Protest Angry Parents Outside Laxman Public School

Private schools nowadays are making too many headlines and all for the wrong reasons. About 20 angry parents had gathered outside Laxman Public School situated in Hauz Khas, Delhi on Friday, protesting against the latest hike in the student's school fees. They also demanded that the absurd demand of the school to make the parents pay the arrears should also be scrapped.

The school has issued a circular that mentioned that the arrears are actually on part of the school which needs to be paid to the teachers as per the Seventh Pay Commission. Since it would result in a 'heavy additional financial burden on the school', parents have been asked to cough up the extra amount.

"Quarterly we pay around Rs 18,000 as the school fees. Now they are asking us to pay the arrears for three years which amounts an additional payment of Rs 27- 28,000. How are supposed to pay such a huge amount?" asked one of the parents present at the protest and added, "And they have also hiked the school fees by 25%."

In 2015, the Delhi Government mulled amending a legislation under which teachers in private schools were to get the same benefits as their counterparts in government schools. The proposed amendment would strip the teachers in private schools of this right. Upon protests from private school teachers, the Delhi Government abandoned the plan.

In October 2016, the Delhi Government instructed private schools to implement the 7th Pay Commission. However, several private schools did not have the funds to implement the 7th Pay Commission. The Delhi Government then brought a provision for such schools to raise the money through a hike in their fees. However, there was a clause that made it mandatory for parents and teachers to be a part of the decision-making process. The school managements sought the intervention of the High Court which however ruled against them. 

As per the Department of Education directive, the fees hike must include a breakup of the tuition costs and other costs, in order for the parents to be informed as to why the fees are being hiked.

Such is the ridiculousness of this, the students who have been enrolled this year have also been asked to pay the arrears of the last three years. The parents also said that the fees hike had been done without any explanation regarding the budgeting of the school and that all the parents are in this together protesting against this unreasonable fee hike.