Parents demand stern action on school fees
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 2
The burning issue of arbitrary fee hikes by South Goa based private educational institutions today knocked at the doors of the education department, Panjim, with angry parents demanding immediate action from the education ministry over the decade long malpractice.
Taking the lead were parents of Vidya Vikas Acedemy, Comba, who submitted a strongly worded memorandum to the Education Department over fee hikes by more that 40 per cent for 2009-10.
This hike, they reiterated, comes despite opposition to it by the PTA of the institution at an annual general body meeting held in early March this year.
The parents have objected to the fee hike for 2009-10 stating that this is arbitrary, outright fleecing and illegal as the institution also takes hefty donations.
The memorandum also slams the Education Department for not taking hard decisions on the malpractices taking place annually over the last one decade.
It also mentioned the case of another South Goa based school where the department has failed to take action in a similar matter.
The parents of VVA have also raised concerns that despite high fees the teaching community is under paid and resulting in lack of interest in the imparting of education.
The parents have also objected to a proposal of the institution for rent charges for use of the building.
The parents of VVA have urged the education department not to approve any new fee structures as it has explained in its memorandum that the existing fee structure is sufficient enough to meet the new salary scales for teachers under the VIth Pay commission.
The parents have also demanded for a joint meeting with the education officials and education minister.
