BHUBANESWAR: Parents of DAV Public Schools in the city on Tuesday alleged that schools are charging fees with compound interest forcing parents to bleed through their nose. They had conducted a signature campaign among the parents against the fee hike and planned to oppose the decision."Schools have been claiming that they are following the Supreme Court guidelines and not increasing more than 15 %. But if you see the aggregate hike in fees it is not much more than what they are claiming. But in return neither they are appointing good teachers nor improving the quality of education. We are going to protest it seriously," alleged a parent.The school authorities denied the allegations. "We have been strictly following the Supreme Court order and challenging it some parents had already moved to Orissa High court. But the case is pending in the court. I request the parents not to create any nuisance here rather pursue the case in the court. If the court order goes in favour of them we will abide by that," said the regional director of DAV Institutions, Odisha (Zone-1), K C Satpathy.With parents of several other private schools in the city coming out to streets opposing the exorbitant hike of fees, All Odisha Parents' Association on Tuesday reiterated its demand to form a government regulatory committee to monitor the private schools. Parents alleged that due to lack of any monitoring and control private schools have been increasing fees arbitrarily and also not maintaining quality."In the last few days, parents of several schools have lodged complaints of exorbitant fee hike by schools. Some schools have also staged protests and did signature campaign against the school authorities opposing the hike. It is high time that the government should execute the proposal of forming a regulatory board for private schools," said Basudev Bhatt , secretary of All Odisha Parents' Association.The proposal of forming a fee regulatory authority or committee to decide the fees and hike in private schools is pending for last few years with the government, parents alleged.The parents also alleged that the school authorities have been trying to breaking the unity among parents and also giving different kinds of threats indirectly for going against the school authorities."Interesting the schools authorities have been encouraging parallel parents' associations to apply the divide and rule policy. Many parents succumb to the pressure as it is the question of your child," another parent said.On the other hand school, authorities denied the allegations. "No decision on fee hike can be taken without the consent of parents' association. We do everything in utmost fair and transparent manner. And every year we have been adding new facilities and infrastructures for which we need money," said another principal of a school requesting anonymity.Officers in school and mass education department said the proposal of forming the fee regulatory committee is under process. "Government is serious about the matter and it is under process. We will form the committee soon," said director secondary education, Chudamani Seth.

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