National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

NCPCR

Indira National School

INS

Pune Deputy Directorate of Education

Kanoong

Geeta Pillai

Complaints of schools illegally raising fee have swarmed the education department, but not much has been done to address the issue. Now, the) has taken a suo moto cognisance of these complaints received from several parents regarding the capitation fee charged by the) in Wakad.NCPCR has even issued a letter to the(DyDE), asking the authorities concerned to take necessary action and send a detailed report along with relevant documents regarding the same within 10 working days.Priyank, NCPCR member, who has issued the letter, said, “We had received e-mails from parents, informing us about the illegal hike in fees and also the school withholding report cards of their wards. The school cannot target children by discriminating them in this manner. This is not just violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, but also child rights. Therefore, we have asked Pune DyDE to take some concrete action and inform us about the status within 10 working days.”Kanoong continued, “If the DyDE office does not take the necessary action, we will summon the authorities concerned under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, Section (14).”Several parents had written to the Pune DyDE on March 13 this year, claiming that they are being targeted by the school authorities by withholding report cards of their wards as they had filed complaints against the administration with the education department. The school had declared the results on their website for everybody, barring those students, who had not paid the illegally hiked fees, alleged parents.Subsequently, the DyDE had sent a notice to the school early this month for not releasing the results of certain students. But, the school has not taken any action and failed to issue results of these children.A parent, whose child studies in the INS, requesting anonymity, shared, “The school is trying to pressurise us by withholding results of our kids. This is not going to demoralise us in any way and we will continue our fight against the administration. The DyDE has taken no action other than writing to the school. Now, we hope that at least when the NCPCR has taken up the issue, the officials will ensure some prompt action.”When contacted, Dinkar Temkar, DyDE Pune, informed, “We will take action as per the law and inform the NCPCR in 10 days.”The school’s principal,, refrained from commenting on the issue.