Lotus School Jodhpur: Controversy over Late Fee Penalty Imposition

Disturbance in Lotus School, Ahmedabad

In the Jodhpur area of Ahmedabad, there was a commotion at the Lotus School. Parents have raised objections to a penalty fee imposed by the school administration. The penalty fee of 30 rupees per day was enforced to collect overdue fees from the parents. Parents complained that their children’s marks were also affected due to the introduction of the CBSE curriculum in the school, and they were also threatened with their children’s suspension by the school.

Parents’ Protest at Lotus School

Lotus School in Ahmedabad sent a message to parents of students studying there to pay the school fees for the month of December. They were informed that if the fee was not paid after the last date, an additional charge of 30 rupees per day would be levied. Parents were also informed that if the fee remained unpaid after the last date, they would have to pay a penalty fee of 1000 rupees. They were provided with receipts for the payments made. Today, during the Parents-Teacher Meeting (PTM) held at the school, parents caused a disturbance due to these issues. Moreover, as they did not receive satisfactory answers from the school, some parents went to the District Education Officer’s office to submit their complaint.

Interaction between Teachers and Students at Lotus School

During today’s Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) at Lotus School, some parents raised concerns about the behavior of teachers towards students admitted under the Right to Education (RTE) quota. It was highlighted that teachers sometimes fail to provide adequate attention to students in both classes. Class A comprises regular students, while Class B consists of students admitted under the RTE quota, who require special attention. Parents expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of attention given to these students by the teachers. When they discussed the matter with the school principal, they did not receive a satisfactory response, which they later communicated to Divya Bhaskar.

School Penalty Fees Cannot be Enforced: DEO

Concerning the recent disturbances at Lotus School, parents have formally submitted their grievances to the District Education Officer’s office. Responding to this, District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhari has stated that no school has the authority to enforce penalty fees of this nature. He emphasized that if any school attempts to collect penalty fees, it would be considered an unauthorized action. The District Education Officer’s office will investigate this matter rigorously and take strict action based on its findings.

Parents Cannot Be Charged Penalty Fees: School Principal

Manish Agrawal, the principal of Lotus School, has stated that the school is transitioning from the Gujarat Board to the CBSE Board. Consequently, there has been an increase in the school fees in accordance with the rules of the CBSE. Parents were informed about the fee hike in advance. However, some parents expressed their opposition to the increase. Currently, the proposal to raise the annual fee to Rs. 40,000 is under consideration, but no decision has been made yet. According to the rules of the CBSE, the fee will only be collected once it receives approval. The principal further mentioned that some students still have pending annual fee payments, which parents were notified about in December. However, there will be no penalty charges imposed; parents are only requested to pay the fee on time.

“We’ll Withdraw Our Child from the School”: Parent

A parent of a student at Lotus School had requested the District Education Officer’s office to transfer their child out of the school. The parent of a fifth-grade student at Lotus School stated that during a recent Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM), it was evident that the behavior of the teachers in the class was not acceptable. They mentioned that their child’s performance in the recent school exams was significantly lower, attributing it to the fact that 80% of the questions asked in the school exams were beyond the curriculum. Consequently, the child struggled to answer them naturally, resulting in lower marks.

Another parent mentioned that students admitted under the RTE quota also face non-cooperation from the teachers. Especially such students do not receive proper attention. Therefore, their child’s performance has suffered. Due to these reasons, the parents are considering withdrawing their child from the school. If a child is forced to stay in such an environment, their future may be compromised, and they may resort to unethical means.