Times Of India 2 Apr - Noida schools all set to hike tuition fee

Shafaque Alam TNN

Noida: City-based private schools are all set to impose a fee hike for the new academic session that commences in April. The schools are going to issue notifications regarding the new fee, which is a hike of 10-12%.
    School managements justify the move, saying the hike is directly proportional to the increase in dearness allowance (DA) given to the large number of teaching and non-teaching staff. They claim that there are no government funds supporting them, hence the fee hike is the only option.
    Steep hikes in school fees have been contested many times earlier and evoked sharp reactions. While the schools cite a lack of other means, absence of any state government guideline on the quantum of a fee hike is taken advantage of by some schools.
    “The DA of school staff increases twice a year. We do not get any subsidy from the government. Increasing the fee is the only option we have and the fee in our school will be increased by 12%,” said Asha Prabhakar, principal, Bal Bharti Public School.
    The increased tuition fee is not the only one that will hit parents. Numerous other charges like a multimedia fee, annual miscellaneous charge, medical charge, operational charge, library fee, for extracurricular activities and others are also likely to add to the amount they will pay to schools.
    M N Arul Raj, principal, Somerville School said that the fee hike is an annual exercise done in accordance with the government rules. “We impose minor fee hikes so that partners are not burdened,” the principal said.
    Pramod Sharma, director cum principal, Genesis Global School said that the fee in his school would be increased by 2.5% only.
    The move has raised concerns among the city’s parents and a delegation will meet the district administration after the Lok Sabha election to seek an intervention.Times of India