Hyderabad: The Prof. Tirupathi Rao committee on regulating the school fee will submit its final report to the government on May 29. It is learnt that the committee will recommend the setting up of district fee regulatory committees after the schools reopen for the 2017-18 academic year.
A retired district judge or a retired officer of the state government not below the rank of secretary is to be the chairperson of the district committes, which was a key recommendation of the Hyderabad Schools Parents Association.
Asked about schools that had already collected the increased fee, Prof. Rao, a former vice-chancellor of Osmania University, remarked: “It can be adjusted against future payments.”
The parents association said the final set of recommendations circulated on Tuesday by the Tirupathi Rao committee was a huge step forward. Association members hopes that the government would notify the GO without any delay and set in motion the process of setting up the fee regulatory committees.
HSPA member Seema Agarwal said, “It was heartening to note that the committee acknowledged the contribution of HSPA in bringing forth the judgments of the High Court and the Supreme Court. The committee complimented the HSPA for its impeccable research on legal and related issues.”
HSPA member Ashish Naredi said, “It’s a matter of great satisfaction both personally for me and for HSPA that what we’ve been saying for the past two years has been endorsed by everyone from the Supreme Court to the Prof. Tirupathi Rao Committee. It took us two years but we got there.”
He wanted the government to issue an ordinance or a an order forthwith. The GO has to notify that the fee can only be increased once in three years and punishments as specified in the 1983 Capitation Fees Act will be applicable in case of any violation of the provisions.
The committee examined the fee regulation models being followed by different state governments besides seeking suggestions from school managements, parents, students and teachers associations before making its recommendations. It is scheduled to submit its report to the government this week.
Deputy Chief Minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari said earlier, “We have speeded up the process of regulating the school fee. It will be put in place by the first week of June. A decision on whether to appoint a sitting judge or a retired judge to head the fee regulation committees has to be taken.”
