mumbai

Updated: May 28, 2017 01:04 IST

A Dahisar school has expelled 70 students from the primary and secondary sections for not paying the disputed hiked fees for the upcoming academic session. The Universal High School in Dahisar wrote to the students’ parents informing them that their children had been‘de-enrolled’ over unpaid fees. It asked them to collect their school leaving certificates on Monday.

For the past four months, the school management and parents have been locked in a dispute over a 14% hike in school fees — from Rs 96,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh. The parents had also complained about this to education minister Vinod Tawde.

In one of the letters, the school has said it took this step as the parent blatantly refused to pay the fees even when 95% of parents have already paid. “We are left with no other alternative. With a heavy heart we inform you that your child has been de-enrolled from the school roll/record for non-compliance of school’s requirements for completion of admission process to the next grade and also non-payment of fees,” read the letter.

The school also informed parents that it would fill up the vacant seats immediately by granting admission to wait listed students. “We would be happy to issue recommendation letters to assist the children in securing admissions in other institutions,” the letter read.

However, Tawde said on Friday that the school could not force parents to pay the higher fees. “We have called the school management for a meeting next week to discuss the issue. They cannot cancel admissions if parents do not pay the fees,” said Tawde.

Parents said many students have dropped out owing to the ‘callous attitude’ of the school. “The fees were increased without a discussion in the PTA meetings,” said Tejasvini Purandare, whose daughter, Harshada, studies in class 2. But the schoolis firm on its decision. “Around 95% parents have paid the fees, but a few have been misled and are refusing to pay even after being given reasonable opportunities. They are behaving in a crude way with the school,” said Jesus Lall, chairman of the group, while adding, “We are a private unaided minority institution and cannot function without fees.”