The Daly College

I have posted this message in first week of May'2019 and would be updating it as i have given legal notice to school (in first week of June'19). Subsequently, I have filed case in Jamnagar consumer court in December'2019. My advocate tricked me saying case is under scrutiny at Jamnagar court and he hired a advocate in Indore without my permission. Indore consumer court has declined the case saying education is not covered in consumer protection laws and asked me to approach civil court. The role of my Jamnagar advocate is fishy as he lied to me. I approached State consumer forum, Bhopal and they have registered my case (A/20/509) and sent notice to school. Daly College is extending date of hearing since 4 years now, next date 16 Jan'2024. The details are as follows: My child studied in this day cum boarding school as a boarder for 1 year (2018-2019) in class 8. I paid Rs 5.1 lacs as fees and Rs 2.55 lacs as caution money. Over and above this, they also took Rs 75,000 as one time admission fees. They took Rs 16,000 for registration of child, Rs 3000 for books, Rs 1000 for scholarship contribution fund, Rs 500 for brochure and Rs 100 for entrance exam papers. Total=Rs 8,60,600. They charge you 1% late fees but have unwritten rule to give back caution money only after 2 months (when child leaves school). They charged me for milk consumed, newspapers, phone and miscellaneous expenses at 6 month interval. My child suffered injuries at 5 instances due to sub standard pastoral care and casual attitude of staff. Child got hurt on right eye and 6 sticthes on hairline of forehead in another incident. I am told staff allows water fight and pillow fight in boarding. After one such water fight in boarding house by other students, my child happened to go near place where water was not supposed to be there and slipped. Child lost part of front permanent tooth and got head injury. Housemaster seems to be overloaded doing job of warden, teacher and keep account of expenses. Asst housemaster has her own small kid and I doubt if she could take care of her own child and other students simultaneously. Despite taking so much money, I could not get his exam question papers to monitor academics. Staff does not respond to mails promptly. The phone sets in boarding are only two and phone-lines do not work properly and often I could not talk with my child for 5-20 days (please note they charge for phone separately). I am not happy with safety culture, pastoral care and connect with parents. The books they charged money (Rs 3000) were old and torn condition. As per their website, they have raised fees by 10% now (2019-2020 session) without prior information to parents. Child lost weight in 1 year and it seems he missed his food at times. The entrance exam was taken in well furnished class room but after joining school he was made to study on furniture having indecent words written on it. Even after writing mails and meeting their Senior staff, school did not provide me photographs and video CD of the annual function held in December 2018 (I asked for it as my child had participated in it). He attended trekking event at Nagtibba Uttarakhand in March'2019 and staff provided me photographs only after my followup. School made me buy uniform for Rs 20,000. Now in Class 9 I bought uniform in Rs 3000 (new school). School should be reasonable in imposing expenses to Parents. School paid back the caution money / money in personal account (after deducting Rs 33,834) to me after two and half months of my followup and legal notice (TC application given by me on 23 March'19, TC provided by school on 30 March'19). Even after repeated asking, school is not giving details of expenses and why money has been deduced. I had filed several RTIs with state and central govt, but did not get any reply on safety practices in Daly college and financial uncertainties. The CBSE bylaws mention about surprise visit to schools, but it does not seem to happen as I got inspection report by CBSE dated 21, 22 Feb 1976 (so old and no inspection since then) as per RTI reply.