Parents meet DC against schools decision to hike fee

Jamshedpur, Feb 3: In the wake of missionary run minority schools plan to raise school fee from the next academic year commencing April 1, 2014, several of the parents approached district administration to prevent the fee hike.

The aggrieved parents are concerned about the schools, affiliated to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institution, that have claimed that being a minority school they are largely free from the government intervention in day-to-day affairs including admission of students, recruitment of staff and quantum of fee to be charged.

Citing the 2005 ruling of the Supreme Court in the P A Inamdar Vs State of Maharashtra case, education rights activist claimed that the right of the minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice guaranteed under Article 30(1) is subject to the regulatory power of the State for maintaining and facilitating the excellence of educational standard.

�The apex court judgment clearly states that under the guise of exclusive right of management minority institutions cannot be allowed to decline to follow the general pattern including admission of students, recruitment of staff and quantum of fee to be charged,� said RTE activist, Dr Umesh.

When approached, a principal of a leading missionary school confirmed that the school management has announced fee hike from the academic year 2014-15.

The DC, however, said that the point raised by the parents group requires some amount of research work before reaching to any conclusion.