Budget Schools Seek Clarity On Fee Dues Before Exams
With Ramazan coinciding with the exam period, institutions anticipate further delays in fee payments due to festival expenses.
Hyderabad: As Secondary School Certificate examinations begin this month, budget private schools say they are caught between fee regulation and rising unpaid dues. Managements complain that many parents expect hall tickets to be issued despite arrears, while authorities warn schools not to restrict students from appearing for exams.
“We understand that no child should suffer. But schools also have bills to pay. Most budget schools function on thin margins. Salaries, rent, electricity and statutory dues do not stop during exam season,” said the vice principal of a Christian minority school in Ramnagar.
With Ramazan coinciding with the exam period, institutions anticipate further delays in fee payments due to festival expenses.
M S Farooq, advocate and general secretary of the All India Muslim Educational Society (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), said regulation is necessary but cautioned: “Action against excess fee collection is welcome. But institutions working within approved norms should not be financially strangled.”
Budget schools, particularly minority and low-fee institutions, receive no government aid and largely operate from rented premises. Irregular fee flow, they say, affects teacher salaries and daily operations.
Associations have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking a clear advisory to parents on clearing legitimate dues before hall ticket issuance, a structured ‘no dues’ mechanism linked to examinations, and protection for institutions acting within approved norms. They said clarity during exam season “would help balance student welfare with institutional sustainability.”