The annual fees of the school have been increased to Rs 5,000 from Rs 1,200. “Such a steep and massive hike in fees is impossible for us to bear,” said Snehashish Kar, an aggrieved parent. The parents also alleged that the infrastructure in the school is in a pitiable condition.
“The condition of the washrooms is so unhygienic that girls have even contracted E. coli,” Kar added.
While the annual “development fee” has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 2,400, basic facilities like sanitation, drinking water and classrooms are in a deplorable state, parents alleged.
“We went to meet the principal Sonia Pradhan but after seeing mediapersons accompanying us, she refused to speak. Even when the media had left on our request, she did not speak to us. Some parents became a little agitated at this delay,” added Kar.
Things came to a naught when the school authorities called police to tackle the protesting parents.
“We spoke to the police officers about our demands. They felt that our demands are justified and left the spot. Things would not have gone so far had the principal agreed to meet us as had been planned,” Kar said.
The principal of the school finally met the parents around 1 pm.
“The principal has assured us that she will present our case before the management committee and resolve the issue as soon as possible. As of now, we don’t have to pay the increased fees,” said
Rupak Paul, a parent and a spokesperson for the parents’ forum.