These days almost all good schools are asking for additional money/donation at the time of admission. These donation demands have increased many fold in last few years. Although I am not no way supporting the donation but here is another scenario.
There are two equally good school A & B. B charges 10 Rs as donation and A charges 2 Rs as donation. What will eventually happen? With the amount of the black money flowing in our society, B will still find parents ready to pay 10 Rs as donation , on the other hands A will be flooded with increasing no of application as donation is lesser. The only way for them to manage is to increase the donation to such a level where they can manage admissions. As you would probably agree that in Nursery, LKG and UKG there is hardly any difference among kids.
The only way to control this menace is to complete remove donation concept from all schools at the same time and that can only be done by a capable , willing and corruption-free government.
There is no comparison with abroad as there most of the schools receive funding from Goverment. It is Tax Payers money put to good use, instead of being eaten up by the corrupt politicians as it happens in our country.
I have my elder son studying in this school for last five years and also younger one for last two year. As far as education goes we are completely satisfied. Issues like lotto shoes, making parents running around for small things and smile less faces and stern face princial are definitely there but believe me this is the way most of the schools are currently are. I work in South Bangalore but staying in North/East only for facilitating the continued good, healthy and enriching education of my sons in this school.
As far as as waiting outside the school gate is concerned, it happend because of an incident in the school. Last year there was a bomb scare in this school and that news reached parents somehow, and it created big chaos during that emergency within the school and also in the vicinity blocking all the roads in Indiranagar.
I completely agree that donation should not be the criteria for getting admission. What ever money school is asking they should ask openly and communicate well in advance to aspiring parents. I also feel that it is not ethical for schools to ask the money in cash or in form of computers etc.