Pune: School Makes Student Pay Half of Pending Fees to Allow Entry to Board Exam Hall

Aundh, 27th February 2023: A Class X student from City International School in Aundh, Pune, was prevented from entering the exam hall on Monday due to non-payment of fees.

The student’s parents had not been able to pay the fees due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school principal and management made it clear that the student wouldn’t be provided with a hall ticket until payment was made.

The student was finally allowed to enter the exam hall after a delay and only after repeated requests and payment of 50% of the pending fee. The victim’s parent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that they had lost their job during the pandemic and were doing part-time work to meet necessary expenses. They had requested the management to allow them to pay the pending fees in installments, but the principal and management withheld the hall ticket and did not allow their son to enter the classroom.

The parent managed to pay Rs 2.5 lakh by borrowing money from friends and relatives. After several requests, their son was allowed to sit in the exam. However, the student was traumatized by the incident and could not speak when contacted by the media.

The school principal refused to comment on the issue when contacted. However, a member of the school management, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that they had been intimating the student’s parents through calls, messages, and emails, but they would never respond properly. The payment had been pending for the last four years, and the school had not bothered students for tuition or exams, providing parents with ample time to make the payment.

The school allowed the student to sit in the exam after the part-payment, as they did not wish to cause academic loss to students. The incident highlights the financial burden that the pandemic has imposed on many families, making it difficult for them to pay their children’s school fees. The school’s decision to withhold the hall ticket and prevent the student from writing the exam has been criticized by many, who feel that it was a cruel and unnecessary act.

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