Parents of Presidium School in Indirapuram held a protest against the school’s issue of transfer certificates to about 34 students over the past four months due to non-payment of annual development charges.
Speaking to City Spidey, parents said they had held back the “baseless” development charges but had paid the tuition and the transport charges. They said that the annual development charges were being coerced from parents through threats of expelling their wards from school. “These are completely unexplained charges. Why should parents pay these? We have no objection to paying tuition fees and transport fees,” said a parent. Indirapuram News
Despite the transfer certificates, parents sent their wards to school today. The students, however, were initially denied entry into the school but were later let in but made to sit in the reception area through the school hours and not allowed to attend classes. “Despite paying transport charges, my daughter was not allowed to board the school bus. I have already paid transport charges till September!” said Meenakshi Singh, a parent. rwa management software
The parents maintained that despite several requests, the school did not issue a written statement on why they were being issued transfer certificates. “We had asked for a justification for the development charges, but the school’s answer came in the form of these transfer certificates. The behaviour of the school has caused a lot of trauma to the children. Not allowing them to sit for classes has worsened the situation,” said a parent. Apartment management system
Speaking to City Spidey, GS Matharoo, CEO of Presidium School, said the charges were required to provide proper services to students and that the development charges were very much part of the school fees. “Pending payments from about 400 parents that have accumulated over the past three years amount to about Rs 10 crore. We have reminded parents three times already to pay these charges. There are nearly 3,600 students enrolled, but almost 400-450 have not paid these charges, or have paid partially. We have even given parents additional time and allowed them to pay in instalments,” Matharoo added. Society management system
On being asked about keeping students from attending classes, Mathroo said parents were explicitly asked not to send their wards to school when the transfer certificates were in effect. “I even told them that if they gave it to us writing that their financial situation was not OK, we would consider revoking the transfer certificates. But some parents are just hell bent on protests,” Matharoo added.
The school displayed a notice at the gate that read: “TCs were issued to some of the students for not paying school fee (tuition, annual and development). All the concerned parents are requested not send their wards to school.”
Later during the day, a few parents approached the Indirapuram police station with a demand to lodge an FIR against the school. However, although they submitted a complaint at the police station, they were turned away saying that the case was under the jurisdiction of the district administration and not the police’s.
