DAMMAM: Parents of Indian students of the International Indian School Dammam (IISD) have presented an appeal to the school's Managing Committee (MC) to review their decision to increase school fees. The petition was handed over to John Thomas, the MC's Chairman, by the heads and representatives of various Indian socio-cultural organizations here.??The petition states that the “IISD is the only option for less privileged Indian families in the Eastern Province for the basic education of their children”. The fee hike would hurt many families financially, warns the petition. The petition recommends a fee hike of SR20, compared to the SR40 to SR60 increase put in place by the management. The management has also increased the admission fee and establishment levy. The petition also demands this hike to be moderated. The petition appeals to the MC to continue with the fee concession for the second child onwards. This fee concession has been abolished under the new fee structure. Meanwhile, another group of Indian expatriate organizations has sent a petition to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India; S.M. Krishna, the Indian Minister of External Affairs; Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and other members of the Indian Parliament seeking their intervention. They say the IISD has more than 16,000 students, unlike other schools. They add that the “exorbitant” fee hike of 40 percent is not affordable by the low income parents of the majority of students. Parents claim that the IISD currently has SR37 million in assets. The fee hike would generate an extra SR10 to SR12 million this year which they say, is not necessary. Mohammed Ibrahim, a parent of an IISD student says that MC members have no idea how this would affect the budget of normal Indians here because all the MC members earn over SR5,000 a month. “This salary is a requirement to be eligible to contest MC elections at the schools. So how can they comprehend the struggles of the low income group?” he asked.?? In the meantime, the IISD has issued a second circular informing parents of the renewed fee structure which will be implemented from April onwards as the school reopens for a new academic year. T.P.M. Fazal, Vice Chairman of the Indian Parents Association (DISPA), told Saudi Gazette that he is hopeful that the MC and the “higher board” would review their decision to hike the school fees.
