Ghaziabad Parents Stage Protest Against DAV School's Arbitrary Fee Hike and Overcrowding
In a significant display of discontent, distressed parents of students from DAV School in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, organized a four-hour protest on Wednesday. The demonstration was fueled by demands for a rollback of what they termed an "arbitrary" fee increase of 11-15% for the 2026-27 academic session. Parents also raised serious concerns about overcrowded classrooms, with up to 75 students per class, which blatantly violates Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) guidelines.
Protest Details and Parental Grievances
The protest began around 8 am outside the school gate, as parents gathered after dropping off their children. They shouted slogans against the school management, highlighting the lack of transparency and consultation in the fee hike. According to parents, the monthly fee for Class 6 surged from Rs 6,790 to Rs 7,460, while the late payment penalty escalated dramatically from Rs 250 per quarter to Rs 50 per day. Additionally, an annual examination fee of Rs 7,500 was imposed.
For Class 9 students, the school is charging Rs 7,500 each for CBSE registration and annual examination fees. Parents of Classes 10 and 12 reported an extra monthly charge of Rs 450 for practical examination fees. These increases come despite CBSE officially capping fee hikes for private schools at 7.2% for the 2026-27 session, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 5% formula.
Additional Complaints and Violations
Beyond the fee issues, parents accused the school of multiple violations and poor management practices. They claimed that the school forces parents to purchase books and stationery from its own vendor, a practice that contravenes District Fee Regulatory Committee (DFRC) rules. Repeated complaints about this have been ignored by the administration, leaving parents with no recourse but to protest.
The school's fee counter operates only between 8:30 am and 10 am, causing significant inconvenience for working parents. Heavy penalties are levied for even minor delays in payment, with a late fine of Rs 50 per day, described by one parent as "more like a penalty system than an educational institution."
Overcrowding and Educational Concerns
Parents highlighted a high teacher-to-student ratio, inadequate sanitation facilities, harassment of students over minor infractions, and a lack of grievance redressal mechanisms. They also criticized the school for scheduling multiple unit tests on a single day, which they argue causes mental harassment to students.
Classrooms are reportedly packed with 70 to 75 students, far exceeding CBSE's mandated maximum pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1. This overcrowding severely impacts the quality of education, as children have no space to learn properly.
Official Responses and Broader Context
Vivek Tyagi, president of the All Parents' Association in Ghaziabad, stated that the association has written multiple times to education officials, but no action has been taken. In response, the DAV School administration told The Times of India that they are addressing the demands and plan to hold talks with parents to resolve the matter.
This protest is part of a larger trend across Delhi-NCR, where parents have been protesting against private schools, including Delhi Public School (DPS) in Dwarka, over arbitrary fee hikes and coercive actions to recover unapproved increased fees.
