The Hindu : New Delhi News : Withdraw fee hike, demand parents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 30, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Withdraw fee hike, demand parents

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 29. Welcoming the Supreme Court's recent directive asking the Director of Education, Delhi Government, to check whether public schools are fulfilling the criteria of providing free education to children from weaker sections, a voluntary organisation of parents, Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh (DAM), today demanded that the recent fee hike by various schools be withdrawn.

With the three-Judge bench asking the Director of Education to look into the land allotment letters of all private unaided schools and find out whether the conditions of 25 per cent free education to weaker sections has been fulfilled, the ruling makes it mandatory for schools to submit their annual income and expenditure statements to the Director before commencement of each academic session.

In a statement issued today, the DAM president Vijender Kumar Gupta, said the order had vindicated the stand and struggle of the organisation which had started seven years ago. The organisation had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in 1997 against the arbitrary hike of fees by most schools, which ultimately culminated in a favourable judgement in 1998.

It welcomed the order of Supreme Court in upholding the original decision of High Court on laying of important and far reaching guidelines and described it as an appropriate step to save parents from the clutches of commercialisation of education. Parents feel elated and grateful that their demands have been met after seven years of long drawn out struggle.

In the light of Supreme Court decision and fresh guidelines, the DAM has now demanded that the recent fee hike be withdrawn and details of the hike initiated during the last five years be checked for arbitrary increases.

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