Doon School, Dehradun commercializes Education

16th February 2009

To
Hon’ble Shri Arjun Singh
Union Education Minister
Government of India
Shastri Bhavan
New Delhi – 110001

Hon’ble Shri B.C Khanduri
Chief Minister
State of Uttrakhand
Secretariat
Dehradun, Uttrakhand

Subject: Registration Fee of Rs.36, 000/- for entrance test alone for admission in classes VII and VIII in The Doon School, Dehradun

Respected Sir,

I am constrained to encroach upon your valuable time to highlight the unconstitutional practices of the Doon School, The Mall, Dehradun for indulging into an extortionist act of extracting a sum of Rs. 36,000/- in the name of Registration fee for Admission to classes VII & VIII from desirous students and thereby indulging in an act which can be without any double thought be termed as “Commercialization of Education”. It is submitted that in addition to the said sum of Rs. 36,000/- on account of entrance test, every applicant/student has to part with a sum of Rs. 1,000/- against the cost of the prospectus.

With the growing concern on the issue of education, it is needless to say that commercialization of education is illegal and the same shall neither be permissible nor it shall be allowed to perpetuate. It is unfortunate that any person who is desirous of educating his ward in the Doon School has to make a hefty payment of a sum of Rs. 36,000/- as registration / entrance test fee besides payment of Rs.1, 000/- on account of prospectus to appear for a written test. In the subsequent stage, the candidates who qualify the written test are further required to appear for a personal interview. Those students who are successful in passing the interview round are finally granted admission.

On the basis of a personal enquiry, it has been known that some 500 students registered themselves for registration/ entrance test in class VII and some 450 students for Class VIII for the Academic Session 2009-2010. Out of the above mentioned 450, only 32 students qualified the written test and 22 students were admitted to Class VIII. On the basis of the above, the school amassed a sum of Rs. 3, 42, 00, 000/- in the name of registration fee only. The income accrued by the sale of prospectus is however manifold but not known.

Further, the profit making process of the Commercial Education Shop doesn’t stop here and every admitted student is further charged a fee of Rs. 3.2 Lacs every year in form of School fee.

It is pertinent to mention that in our Country, where Education is a matter of a Right, the huge fee slabs and unjustified miscellaneous fees charged by the Doon School holds no justification and is in blatant disregard and violation of the well established notion of Right to Education guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

Though the School was registered as a non profit making body, it appears on the face and in the light of the aforesaid facts that the School has a keen interest in acting as a private limited Company and deriving maximum profits.

It is unfortunate that such mal practices are prevalent and adopted by the education institutions. This matter, however calls for an urgent need, not only to prohibit the Doon School from committing such mal practices but also to consider the fact that not only the above cited School but various other Education Institutions are involved in such practices, A national level legal framework to regulate the functioning the Education Institutions in this regard is need of the hour, so as to ensure that education remains a right and not a commercial Shop, and every Indian enjoys the right without being discriminated on the basis of his/her economic or Social status.

We, therefore, most humbly request that the central government should forthwith bring legislation regulating unaided private schools so to ensure that they do not dare to indulge in commercializing the school education by exploiting the hapless parents/students of this country. We also request you to kindly direct the management of the Doon School to refund forthwith the registration fee of Rs. 36,000/- to all the students/parents.

With regards,

Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
Advisor, Social Jurist,
M-09811101923