Imphal, February 07 2010: Even as police have to be called in to normalise the situation at Heritage Convent, Uripok following confrontation between parents/guardians and the school authority over the issue of levying monthly tuition fee, parents/teachers' association of St George High School, Wangkhei has come out strongly against imposition of tuition fees by the school authority for the period during which classes were not held.

To discuss the issue related to tuition fees of the four months period during which classes remained suspended following agitation over the July 23 Khwairamband Bazar incident, the school authority of Heritage Convent convened a joint meeting with the guardians of the students today.

Even before anything could be finalised on payment of tuition fees for three months out of the four months period from September to December 2009 during which classes remained suspended, the school authority declared that tuition fees from January to March, 2010 should be paid in advance.

This led to a heated argument between the two parties.

At that moment, one of the lady teachers remarked that only those students who pay tuition fees would be allowed to sit for the examination.

Her remarks literally fanned the fire with some of the already angry guardians resorting to smashing of doors and window panes.

Police were called in to bring the situation under control.

After normalisation of the situation, the school authority and the lady teacher in question apologised for the remarks to the gathering.

From the side of the school authority, the administrator Bikram also assured that tuition fees for the month of October to December, 2009 would not be charged from the students and the amount would be refunded to those who have already paid.

Inspite of this, a meeting of guardians was convened immediately and an association formed called Heritage Convent Parents/Guardians Association along with appointment of a 9-member adhoc committee.

In the said meeting, the guardians approved tuition fee for only one month for the period from September to December, 2009 and start payment of tuition fees only from the month of start of the session.

In case the school authority is found to have levied tuition fees for the period it is not supposed to charge anything, the meeting decided that the amount should be refunded to the parents without any adjustment.

Until an agreement on these points between the school authority and the parents' association, it was further decided that the parents would stop sending their to the school from tomorrow.

The parents' association has also appealed to the transporters not to drop or pick up students of the school until resolution of the matter.

On the other hand, while expressing strong reservation against imposition of tuition fees from the students for the period classes remained suspended, a meeting of the parents/teachers' association of St George High School, Wangkhei has today resolved that the school authority should be responsible in the event of boycott of the school over the issue.

Asserting that imposition of tuition fees from the students for the period classes remained suspended goes against an earlier decision of the Association, today's meeting decried the threat of the school authority that all the students should clear their tuition fees before the final examination.

Otherwise, their names would be withheld.

The parents' association has also drawn the attention of other student organisations for ensuring the career of the students is not jeopardise and bring about an amicable solution.

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