Applications invited for Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2002

Special Arrangements for mailing X-Mas, New Year Greetings

Indian School Parents Unanimous about Fees Reduction

P.C.Thomas, other politicians interfere in Indian School issue

No Change in Examination Schedule

 

Indian School Parents Unanimous about Fees Reduction

keralamonitor correspondent

Most of the parents who have responded to the Indian Ambassador's survey on the fees structure in 14 Indian schools in Oman have almost unanimously demanded that they want a reduction in fees, especially in the private schools. Surprisingly many small businessmen and shop owners who are better off than the employed Indian expatriates have said in their responses that since business has been shrinking during the last three four years, they find it difficult to meet the growing cost of educating their children. Many small businessmen have informed the Indian Ambassador K.M.Meena, who is the patron of Indian Schools, that the volume of business and profit level have been falling and many of them have to send back their children to India for getting cheaper education.

Another opinion shared by many parents who participated in the survey is that the cost of sending their two children to the private school consumes a whopping 40 per cent of their monthly income -much above the international average. In the case of community schools, the corresponding figure is less. It has also come out that the fees and non fees charge of the private school is considerably higher than the Indian community schools. While the term fees is RO 10 in most of the Community schools, the private school is charging RO 14 -nobody knows what is the reason for charging RO 4 additional term fees. Compared to the fees in one private school run by the Mahajan business community, the private school run by an individual is charging substantially high fees. The fact that the private school in Wad Kabir does not collect caution deposit of RO 110 charged by the Indian community school and the private school is well appreciated by parents.

Similarly, examination fees in the private school is RO 4 compared to RO 2 in all community schools in Oman. 'I don't understand why examination fees should be RO 2 more than most of the other schools. Every student is appearing for the same examination and it is astonishing that one school is charging RO 2 more than most of the other schools. Are they giving a cushioned chair to the students?' asks one parent.

The average monthly fees and non fees charge in a private school for two students work out to RO 80 plus RO 15 for transport -RO 95. If an average parent with a salary of RO 250 or RO 300 will have to shell out a considerable portion of his income for educating his two children. 'My average cost for sending two children to the private school is more than RO 90. It is really high,' said the senior executive of a travel company.

Another interesting fact emerging from the survey is that most of the Muslim parents have said that since they have more number of children studying in Indian schools, the high fees is not affordable and should be reduced. A Muslim parent has said that his three children are studying in an Indian school and his fourth child is due to attend school from next year onwards. "What should I do with the third child. Should I send all my children back to India or leave them alone to their fate without sending to school because I cannot afford to pay fees for fourth child?" this particular Muslim parent asked the School patron. There are several Muslim business families as well as employees who have more children studying in Indian Schools.

Interestingly enough, most of the parents in the Seeb-Al Hail-Rusayl area are working in the industrial sector in the Rusayl Industrial area. Average monthly income of the parents --Christian, Muslim and Hindu--in the area is around RO 200 or less. Many of the parents in the area feel that they cannot afford to send their children to the private school in the adjacent area. Most of the respondents from the area are working in factories located in the Rusayl Industrial Estate. It may be noted that the proposed new private school in Al Hail-Seeb area is charging 10 per cent more fees than the Indian School Muscat. There is no guarantee that the private promoter will not increase the fees following the footsteps of another private school in the adjacent area. Even though many ordinary christian parents will be forced to pay higher fees, the leaders of Christian community are campaigning to support a private school in the area.

Even though the existing private school was started at a low fees comparable to the community schools, one fine morning the promoter decided to increase fees by almost double! If the patron is flexible, then the private businessman can very well increase the fees in the near future, circumventing all the norms. There is an example when a former Ambassador signed on the dotted line just one day before his transfer to another country.

 

keralamonitor.com