CNI schools in Kolkata slash fees by 25%

KOLKATA: City schools run by the Kolkata Diocese of Church of North India, or those where the Bishop is the chairman of the school board, have decided to waive 25% on certain heads in school fees from April to September. It was announced after a meeting chaired by Bishop Paritosh Canning and attended by principals of 13 schools at Bishop House on Wednesday.
Among the principals who attended the meeting were those of the two La Martiniere schools, St James’, Pratt Memorial, St Paul’s Mission, both the St Thomas’ schools at Kidderpore, Union Chapel, St John’s Diocesan, Scottish Church Collegiate School, Christ Church Girls’ School, St Thomas’ Day School and St Thomas’, Howrah.
The slash is being offered in computer, sports and games and library fees from April to September. While the first quarter just got over with the second quarter starting from Wednesday, many parents across schools are yet to pay fees for the first quarter. They can pay the arrears of the reduced amounts and those who have already given the earlier amounts, will be given refunds.
Schools now hope parents would start paying after the announcement; at two of the CNI schools, only 30% parents have paid fees, while the average figure is 45% in others.
After chief minister Mamata Banerjee requested institutions not to increase fees this year, CNI schools continued with the old structure. “By then, we had revised teachers’ salaries, based on Sixth Pay Commission. In one school, the salary was upgraded to Seventh Pay Commission grade. Though we have not hiked fees, we have not rolled back the teachers’ increments. Offering any waiver was becoming impossible but given the crisis and the requests, we have stretched ourselves to factor in this waiver,” Bishop Canning said, adding he hoped he had been able to address parents’ woes.
Last month, a meeting of the association of the heads of Anglo Indian Schools was held, where fee rationalisation was discussed. CNI considered this an interference in its internal matters and nine schools walked out. Later, they re-joined after the Association requested the Bishop to re-consider his decision but the latter did not allow any of his principals to be part of decision-making groups of the Association. “We have to take our own decisions, according to the situation at our schools. These are our internal matters and decisions are taken at the right time,” Bishop Canning said.