<p>Parents of the seven students, who were served TCs, claimed that the miffed school management hand-picked their wards as they had raised their voice against the fee hike issue.<br></p>

Hyderabad: In a fresh blow to parents protesting against fee hike in schools, seven students of St Anns High School, Petbasheerabad were removed from rolls.

Parents of students going to St Anns High School have been battling against the fee hike for a year now. The issue started last year when the school management issued a circular making food facility mandatory for all the students. Several parents staying close to the school premises raised objection as they demanded the management to review the matter.

"For two terms, nearly 300 parents did not pay the fee for the food facility provided by the school. Later, the management called parents individually and settled the matter with a few of them by offering discounts. However, parents of the seven students were sent an SMS in July this year stating that they need not send their wards to schools as they have been served TCs," said Aravinda Jata, chairperson of Joint Action Committee for School Fee Regulation.

Parents of the seven students, who were served TCs, claimed that the miffed school management hand-picked their wards as they had raised their voice against the fee hike issue. "Before making the food facility mandatory and fixing fee for the same, the management did not consult the parents. We were targeted by the management as we questioned their functioning repeatedly," said Murli Gadda, parent of two of the seven students removed by the school.

Ditto, Shrikant Reddy, parent of three of seven students said how the school management did not allow the students to stay in the school despite paying nominal fee. "Our children were removed in the middle of the academic year without considering the loss to their academics," rued Reddy.

The school management, however, firm on their stand, told TOI that they issued TCs as parents of the seven students had created problems for the management. "Parents had threatened the school management and abused the teachers over various issues for the past three years. We had issued several reminders to pay the fee. When they failed to do so, we asked them to take their wards out from the rolls as parents of the seven students were causing havoc in functioning of the school management," said K Salvaraj, member of the managing committee of St Anns High School.

