India, June 21 -- Parents of students in Safa High School and Junior College in Umerkhadi, Byculla, were taken aback when the school issued leaving certificates to 11 students, effectively cancelling their admissions. The move is the latest in a pitched battle between parents and the private unaided school over the allegedly arbitrary fees being charged.

The dispute, which began in 2023, centres on alleged lack of transparency in the fees, which range from Rs.40,000 to Rs.45,000 per child, per year, from Class 1 to 10. Parents claim the fees have not been approved by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), a mandatory requirement, and every attempt to scrutinise the school's books of account and other financial details, which determine the...