School in Hyderabad clarifies on parents' protest on fee hike

Secunderabad: After the reports of parents protesting outside the St Andrews School over school fees hit the headlines, the school clarified that the management is too facing the challenges like everyone due to the COVID-19 crisis. Even as the staff are having salary cuts from March.

The school management also denied that it had enhanced the fee by 10 per cent and further said that it was one of the first schools which decreased the fee when compared to the last academic year. It also claimed that allegations on giving access to online classes on payment of the quarterly fee is false.

The school also said that they are collecting fees on a monthly basis and no late fee is being charged per day. There is also no late fee policy for online classes, it added. It also said that some of them are thinking the non-conduct of physical classes has reduced the working costs and the cost has been increased with the additional charges such as high-end leased internet, uninterrupted power backup, investment cost on digital equipment and on call centre of over 25 personnel.

Explaining on monthly-fee collection, the school said that the teachers and staff also have families to run. The school being a private organisation has no aid being given by the government, it said. "No mass protests were held outside the school but a group of 50 persons gathered protesting against the school," the school management said.