School fee hikes unjustified

The committee has recommended bringing an effective fee regulatory mechanism like the Admissions and Fee Regulatory Committee headed by a retired High Court judge which oversees the fee in professional colleges to regulate fee in private schools to save parents from being fleeced. The panel headed by regional joint director of school education B. Sudhakar and comprising deputy education officers and auditors as members inspected the schools that offer CBSE, ICSE and state board syllabii.

The schools that were inspected include Vidyaranya School, Jubilee Hills Public School, Johnson Grammar School, Glendale Academy, Delhi Public School (Nacharam), Delhi Public School (Nanakramguda), Meridian School (Madhapur) Chirec Public School among others. The committee was assigned the task of determining whether the private schools were adhering to the norms stipulated under GO Ms No.1 on fee collection, which states that schools should spend 50 per cent of the fee on salaries for teachers and should not earn more than 5 per cent profit through fee. However, the inspections revealed that the schools were earning profits ranging from 50 per cent to 70 per cent.

“The report has been submitted to the government. There is a case pending in the Supreme Court on regulating fees in private schools. The court orders are expected by December 15. Based on that, the government will take a decision on how to regulate fees in private schools. Whether a body like the state-level AFRC should be set up or district-level panels should be set up will be decided based on the court’s directions,” said director of school education G. Kishan.

Mr Kishan, during his tenure as collector of Warangal district, had cracked the whip on schools which collected hefty fees in the name of providing IAS coaching to students right from the primary level. However, the schools managed to get away after paying the penalty.