Parents have now decided to ask school authorities to disclose their accounts records before they agree to a fee hike.

In a meeting attended by parents of students of both schools, including the afternoon shift of Salwan Public School, it was alleged that school authorities have threatened to withhold the admit cards of the students of Classes X and XII till the arrears are cleared.

“My son came back from his farewell ceremony traumatised because he thought that he wouldn’t get his admit card,” said the mother of a Class XII student at the school.

Parents have also raised objections to a demand of Rs 5,500 put forward by the school, which, they say, is “in addition to the quarterly fees that has already been paid”.

They also alleged that authorities of all three schools have also threatened students of the junior classes as well.

“They told children that they would be thrown out of school if their parents raised objections against the fee hike or didn’t pay in time,” alleged a parent, who did not wish to be named.

“Earlier, they had told us that we could pay the arrears in six months, but now they are threatening the children,” added another parent.

Parents have now decided to gather at the school gates on Tuesday morning and demand a meeting with the principal for an explanation.

“We will all gather at the school gates on Tuesday and ask to meet the principal. We will also submit a letter with the authorities citing our demand to see the school accounts records before we pay any fees,” said a parent of a student of GD Salwan School.

Salwan Public School principal Vandana Puri, however, denied these claims. “We cannot stop distributing admit cards since a government order clearly states that we cannot involve the Board classes in fee hike matter,” she said.

She, however, admitted that the school had asked the parents to “preferably pay the arrears by March 20”.

The confusion over admit cards, she added, is because of an announcement by the school that no students would be issued admit cards till they clear their outstanding dues in the library and the fees for the past quarter. “There are several children who have books overdue or have not paid last month’s fees. They were the ones we warned,” she said.