Pay for development of child, and of school too

Despite laws prohibiting schools from charging capitation or development fees from parents seeking admission for their children, many institutions in city continue to do so

Pay for development of child, and of school too

Despite laws prohibiting schools from charging capitation or development fees from parents seeking admission for their children, many institutions in city continue to do so

As Sheetal Samant (name changed) filled the forms for her child's admission to a nursery school this year, she was shocked to see the fee-related information columns. Samant who is a divorcee wants to get her son admitted to a well-known city school but has realised that big school means spending big bucks too. Even as the Right to Education Act and the Capitation Fee Act has scrapped donations to schools at the time of admission, all three schools wanted her to pay between Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000, either as education fee or to the school development fund.

In the third instalment of the series on admissions in schools that violate sections of the RTE law, MiD DAY has taken up the issue of capitation fees charged by schools at the time of admission.

While seeking admission to schools, if you were asked to pay a certain amount as voluntary contribution towards the development of school or building fund or as education fee for the school's maintenance, then pay attention. Both the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education 2009 and Capitation Fee act 1987 state that taking capitation fees in the form of development fund is unlawful and schools if caught would have to pay 10 times the amount charged to parents.

However, schools like Sus Road's Vidya Valley School do not consider this a hindrance, as they not only charge Rs 25,000 as development fund but also an admission fee of Rs 25,000.

When told about the law, Principal Nalini Sengupta was unfazed."Our school stands on a multi-acre property and we have many playgrounds. This development fee goes towards the maintenance of grounds and building construction. If not parents, who will help the school? And so far we have not had complaints," she said.

At Baner's Orchid School, parents had complained to MiD DAY that they were charged Rs 50,000 as a one-time education fee which was non-refundable. But principal Shilpa Solanki said this was completely legal. "We have checked the laws and there is nothing wrong in charging fees," she said, adding that the money was used for the development of the school including the building, the investment on the land, the parent body and other activities."u00a0u00a0

At Mohammadwadi's Delhi Public School too, parents were asked to pay Rs 25,000 as development fund at the time of admission.

Principal Neelam Chakravarty refused to comment but referred us to the administration manager of Delhi-based Takshila Education Society that manages the school.

"Actually, development fund is just a nomenclature, our school charges a one-time admission fee of Rs 50,000," said Prem Prakash, administration manager. When pointed out that the law states that admission fee should not be more than a month's tuition fee, he said he would get back to us.

'No development fee'
Sunil Magar, deputy director of education (Pune), said that though private unaided schools could set their fees on their own, no schools were allowed to take capitation fees under the garb of development fees or exorbitant admission fees.

"Any school charging students for development of school property, building, among others, is not allowed under the law and we will send notices to such schools," he said.

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