Ranchi, March 19: The rise in price of essential commodities has compelled schools to hike their fee from April this year. The decision to raise the bus fee is also under consideration.

However, all fee hikes will follow the guidelines of the Jharkhand Education Tribunal (JET) that says schools should not raise their tuition fee by over 10 per cent.

Schools have clubbed various classes to facilitate the fee division. The various groups are — Classes I to V, VI to VIII, IX-X and XI-XII.The current fee structure in schools ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 550.

The principal of DAV Kapil Dev, M.K. Sinha, said they are going to increase the fee from April. “It’s a norm for the school to increase the fee every year. But then it’s quite nominal in comparison to the rising prices,” said Sinha.

He added that every year they have to give an increment to their employees as well. “We have 130 employees and we have to raise their wages, too. Besides, even the cost of the diesel has increased and thus our annual expenditurehas also gone up,” he added.

The principal of DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, D.R Singh, said they are going to hike their fee by eight per cent.

“We are going to increase it to meet our increasing day to day expenditure,”the principal added.

Officials of Surendranath Centenary School said there would be a nine per cent hike in the tuition fee for the students of Class XI and Class XII. While for classes below Class X, there would be an 8.5 per cent hike, the officials said. The bus fee was already increased a few months ago by Rs 20, which ranges from Rs 270 to Rs 390.

The principal of Cambrian Public School, G.P. Singh, said the reason for the increase is due to the high mechanical cost.

“Besides, we have to give new facilities to teachers like the employee state insurance, as directed by the government,” said the principal.

Singh added that wouldhike the fee between five and seven per cent. “The bus fee has been raised by three and four per cent. We have increased the tuition fee according to the classes,” he added.