Vendors, maids, pourakarmikas struggle to pay private school fees

BENGALURU: The furore over

hefty school fees

,

exorbitantly priced books

and hidden charges is not restricted to the middle class alone. Another section of society — pourakarmikas, street vendors and daily wagers — is also bearing the brunt of ever-increasing

private school fees

, and their ordeal appears all the more insurmountable. Unable to cough up the thousands of rupees they need at short notice, parents from this strata have been forced to take informal, short-term loans from moneylenders at staggering rates of interest. With basic sustenance itself a challenge, many are being forced to keep their kids at home, despite schools reopening weeks ago.

Manimeghala, a 31-year-old pourakarmika working at KR Market, is struggling to pay the school fees for her three children. Despite schools reopening on May 28, Manimeghala, who hasn’t got her salary for the last six month, has been unable to collect enough money to pay for her kids’ fees. The three study in an English-medium school close to their home in Anjanappa Garden, a slum in Chickpet.

“A few years ago, the annual fee was Rs 12,000. Today, it is nearly Rs 18,000. For three kids, it adds up to nearly Rs 60,000 a year, excluding uniforms. I took a loan of Rs 12,000 and deposited the amount with the school and begged them to make an exception till I can arrange for the remaining money. While my children were allowed to attend classes temporarily, their results have been withheld because of the dues,” said Manimeghala.

Manimeghala isn’t the only one struggling to make ends meet. Desperate to see their kids succeed in life, fruit sellers, cooks, street vendors, maids and other daily wage workers living in the same slum, which houses some 6,000-odd families, have chosen to enrol their kids at private schools in the area. This despite there being two government schools in the vicinity. However, absentee teachers, missing furniture and abysmal facilities have kept parents away from these government schools.

“Knowing English is an important skill. We have seen several children drop out after class 10 because they don’t see the point in studying further without knowing English. They prefer to take up a job and supplement the family income,” said a parent.

Apart from fees, certain schools also insist children own tracksuits and special shoes costing thousands of rupees. They are chastised and punished for not paying fees on time, leaving them embarrassed in front of their peers.

“Most of the other children in the school come from well-to-do families. It makes it difficult for children from low income groups to gel with others if they are pulled up and embarrassed in public,” said Manimeghala.

Future at stake

Bhavana (name changed), a Class 8 student, should have started attending school 20 days ago, but her mother has been unable to arrange money for her fees. Her elder sister too had to drop out of II PU as their mother couldn’t afford Rs 25,000 for her education. The girl now works at a hosiery store, pasting stickers on socks for Rs 4,000 a month.

“Bhavana had scored 420 out of 450 in Class 7. She was very excited to study further, but I don’t know where the money will come from. Even at high interest rates, nobody is willing to loan me money. Moreover, we still owe the school Rs 20,000 from last year’s fee,” said Bhavana’s mother Anjali who makes Rs 150 a day selling fruit.


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