Parents are made to suffer at the hands of the school managements. One would find that today parents should start saving for their child’s school admission right from the time he/she is born if the higher fees or huge donation is to be paid. The Right to Education Act prohibits both — the practice of schools accepting donations or charging higher fees as well as interviewing children during admissions. However, nothing seems to prevent schools from seeking donations during admission time every year. There is no second thought that the fees are more than what students pay in IITs. There are instances where most of the schools give reasons such as high-class education, comfort, and care given to kids. While the admission fees add salt to the injuries of parents who have to undergo a rigorous evaluation system to get their ward’s admission in good schools, school authorities defend their fee structure saying this is proportionate to the service and education they render. Cases are there where most of the schools have the same policy, and they don’t issue a receipt for the total amount they charge for a nursery seat. Parents could not expect good quality education without shelling out money. The economic and subsequent social, effect of controlling the price of education needs to be further explored, especially since free government schools exist, which benefit from an increased education budget every year.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
