Ranjan is a 40-year-old businessman whose children study in a prestigious private school in the heart of New Delhi.

The school asked for arrears after the fee hike in excess of the government order and threatened to suspend students whose parents did not pay up. He is also worried about the expenses on account of the school uniform and shoes, which have been changed yet again by the school.

Jyoti, age 9, is a student of Class III at an MCD-run school in a Jahangirpuri slum. Her teacher beats the girls in her class, and the food they are supposed to get as midday meals is usually packed and taken away by teachers and school staff.

There are no chairs or desks in her school, neither is there electricity on most days. The new session has started without most of the books being available to the students.

Both ends of the education spectrum came together today to protest against government policies with respect to education.

Citing government apathy as the cause of all problems faced by students of both private and government run schools, the All India Parents Association(AIPA) on Sunday staged a demonstration near the Lt. Governor’s residence asking him to look into the issues.

Nearly a thousand people marched in the bylanes of Civil Lines from the Shah Auditorium at Raj Niwas Marg, after police refused permission to protestors to gather outside the Raj Niwas itself.

The group carried placards detailing the problems faced by students, and shouted slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.

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