Mumbai: Now, school puts fees pending remark on leaving certificate

The remark put on the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar English Medium School’s leaving certificate says ‘Rs 61,640 balance fees for the year 2019-2020 to 2022-2023’. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

It seems schools are finding new ways to pressure parents to pay pending fees. Now, a school located in Vikhroli, has added a remark on a Std X student's leaving certificate (LC), about his pending fees. The remark reads, ‘Rs 61,640 balance fees for the year 2019-2020 to 2022-2023.' The student, who could not get into any college in Mumbai, secured admission to a Nanded college, which questioned him about the remark.

The management of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar English Medium School, operated by the Vidya Vikas Education Society in Kannamwar Nagar, Vikhroli, handed the marksheet and LC to the student this week. The dispute has had a direct impact on Spandan Chaudante, as he scored 84 per cent in the SSC board exam but struggled to secure admission to a college in Mumbai. His mother said having such remarks on LCs is embarrassing for parents and children. According to her, the school administration only provided her son's SSC marksheet and school leaving certificate after she pleaded for days with them, and submitted a written undertaking saying she would pay the outstanding amount.

The issue

"I am a single parent. My husband passed away when I was seven months pregnant. My in-laws didn't treat me well, so in 2019, I came to Mumbai from Nanded. My son got admission to this school in Std VI, and I paid a donation of R50,000 for admission. Later, the pandemic hit the country, and I didn't have a regular source of income for almost two years, putting us in a severe financial crisis. Consequently, I couldn't pay the school fees," explained Pranali Chaudante, Spandan's mother.

She added, "The school was initially reluctant to give my son's hall ticket, demanding Rs 10,000. Fearing that my son would miss the academic year, I sold my earrings, borrowed some money, and paid the amount, after which they allowed him to appear for the exam. After the exam, the school withheld Spandan's marksheet and leaving certificate. I pleaded with its staff for days. My son couldn't get admission to any college in Mumbai. I eventually provided a written undertaking to the school saying I would pay the outstanding amount. Despite the written undertaking, they put such a remark on the leaving certificate."

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Spandan has now managed to secure admission to a junior college in Nanded. However, on seeing the remark on the LC, the college staff questioned them how they would pay fees there if they had outstanding fees at his school. Nitin Dalvi, a representative of the NGO Maharashtra Rajya Vidyarthi, Palak-Shikshak Mahasangh (Maharashtra State Student-Parent Teacher Federation), said, "The parent reached out to us through a local social activist. This situation is deeply regrettable. Schools are resorting to new tactics to pressure parents into paying overdue fees. Cases like these, where LCs and marksheets are withheld and students are harassed and embarrassed over fee non-payment, are on the rise. The education department must address these issues promptly."

Principal speak

The school principal expressed their own financial distress, citing cases where students fail to pay fees. "We have to run the school, pay teachers, and cover maintenance and utility costs. We are a private, permanently unaided school, relying entirely on the fees we collect. We do not receive any government grants. How can we sustain ourselves if fees are not paid? Expenses are mounting each month," said Sujata Ghodke, principal of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar English Medium School.

Regarding unpaid fees, Ghodke said, "Since 2004, a total of 2,425 students have not paid their fees. They and their parents commit to paying later, but once the students pass, they don't return to settle their dues. What are our options? This student's parent also assured us of payment for the past two years but failed to pay, except for giving Rs 10,000 before the SSC exam." Asked if it is legal to add such a remark on the school leaving certificate of a student seeking admission to junior college, Ghodke told mid-day, "Schools are allowed to mention outstanding fees on the leaving certificates. We have added this remark on the LCs of other students also."

2,425
No of students who haven't paid fees since 2004