The formation of PTas though is riddled with glitches. Despite two GRs, in 1996 and 1997, followed by circulars in 1998 and 1999 urging schools to form PTAs,

Asked if the government was taking action against errant schools, some principals maintain that aided schools have been regularly warned of cancellation of salary grant, while private schools will have to forego fee hike. Yet, the stream of protests against fee hikes by parents flows on. After parents of students from Dr S Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya, Malad flayed such a hike and the education department intervened, the management had to withdrwa the hike. Principal Sheela Karia maintainedthat though her school was yet to get the department's approval, they went ahead with the hike hoping that the PTA would ratify it. But the five-year-old school has a PTA only in the secondary section, and Karia claims that they are in the process of forming a PTA in the primary section.

Again, at Diamond Jubilee High School for Boys at Mazagaon - where parents had recently demonstrated against cancellation of bus service and charging of additional fees in the primary and secondary sections - the management said the parents wanted the earlier PTA to continue and that they were waiting for the education department's opinion. Which implies that there's no PTA at the moment.

The Forum for Fairness in Education, Vile Parle which had moved court against seven schools for not forming a PTA and got a favourable judgement on March 22 this year, wrote back to the concerned schools early this month. ``I have only received one letter, from St Francis, Borivli giving details about their PTA. I have also written tothe Deputy Director of Education about these errant schools, but I am yet to receive a reply. If there's no answer by the next fortnight, I will have to move court again,'' warned FFE president Bhagvanji Raiyani.

Both secretary of school education Rameshchandra Kanade and the deputy director of education, greater Mumbai, D C Deshmukh said the government recently held talks with unaided schools on this issue as the issue concerns them more. ``My inspectors tell them that all schools have PTAs, and that they are functioning as per the guidelines. I have instructed the education inspectors to compile a book of PTAs in all of the city's schools,'' said Deshmukh. Added the secretary of Archdiocesan Board of Education, Father Gregory Lobo, most Catholic schools have PTAs as per the guidelines.

According to Principal M P Sharma of G D Somani School, Cuffe Parade, parents would agree to fee hikes if schools could ensure transparency in their accounts and convince parents of their compilsions. ``After all, parntsdo pay up for coaching classes and other extra-curricular activities. Look at Green Lawns at Warden road, Cathedral and John Cannon at Fort or Jamnabai Narsee at Vile Parle. They have increased fees with the cooperation of parents and are paying their teachers as per the Fifth Pay Commission''.

Parents of a south Mumbai school alleged that taking advantage of a loophole in the guidelines, the school formed PTAs `by selecting' parents of their choice rather than `electing' them. Deshmukh pointed out that in its circular issued last month, schools had to hold elections. However, parents pointed out unless election procedures are clearly stipulated, schools can even get away with passing off a show of hands as an election.