Hyderabad: Parents cry foul as schools violate government norms

Hyderabad: Parents of students studying in various private schools in the State capital on Friday poured out their woes of how the school managements were humiliating them and their children. Reason being, the schools are violating the GO 46. They say the GO exists only on paper.

Addressing the media on Friday, actor Siva Balaji and his wife Madhumita have narrated at length how the school managements in which their children were studying behaved with regard to payment of school fee. They urged the State government to immediately address the issue.

It can be recalled that the State government had warned of punitive action against the schools that fail to comply with its directions and GO 46.

But, here was a classic example of a school and how it had siphoned off money meant for children's lunch boxes. Sikander Shaik, a parent, whose child is studying in the Niraj Public School said that the school had clubbed the lunch fee and tuition fee and asked the parents to pay, otherwise his child would not be allowed to attend online classes.

Hariprasad Poluri, a parent whose children are studying in Vignan Bo Tree asked what the tution fee was consisted of.

Another parent, Raghavendra Rao Chatti, whose child studies in Vikas Concept School in Bachupalli said that the school had initially assured to reduce the fee but went back on the same. Seema Agarwal, Hyderabad Schools Parents' Association (HSPA) working president has a different story to tell.

She raised objection against the Glendale Academy for charging fee in violation of GO 46. The school removed her daughter's name from the online classes, because the mother did not cooperate joining hands with the school management bid to violate GO 46. Vineeta Singh, another parent, said that the school has only reduced the fee just for the sake of it. The school in its letter dated May 5, this year intimated to the parents that it has decided to follow GO 46 on school fee. But, on July 1, parents got a message asking to cough up the 2nd term fee.

The trick was that it had already collected a major chunk of the annual fee while collecting the first term fee in March. It is just another case of how the schools have buried GO 46, the parents pointed out.

"How can different boards can commence the academic year without any declaration from the State government? How can they collect fee for April and May?" asked a parent, Madhu, whose children are studying in Creek Planet School.

Meanwhile, the parents of Oakridge school students were reportedly asked to show their account statements if they were asking for some reductions or discounts on the fee.