Bengaluru: With the next academic year around the corner, the state education department has clarified that private schools will be directed to collect fee only as per the revised fee structure.
Clarifying the same, Principal Secretary of the department of primary and secondary education had said recently that the official notification would be published soon after the code of conduct, currently in effect due to the forthcoming assembly elections, is lifted.
However, some Block Education Officers (BEOs) are directing schools to fix the fee prior to the official notification and this has gone down well with private school managements.
“Such a move is completely illegal and they (BEOs) are trying to unnecessarily put us into pressure saying that following this is essential. We have not yet got any official notification from the higher authorities yet on this,” said a school principal from Mysuru. He added that the same has been happening in some schools around Bengaluru, Gauribidanur and other parts in the state as well.
When contacted, DDPI for Bengaluru South Division Ashwath Narayan Gowda denied such allegations.
“It is impossible for education officers to set a rigid fee structure for thousands of private schools as each school varies with regard to a lot of quantitative and qualitative measures. We have directed all private schools only to display the fee structure for the next academic year in public domain to ensure that it is in accordance to various guidelines,” he clarified.
At the same time, general secretary of Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools (KAMS) D. Shashikumar pointed out the fact that no government has been instilled with the power to determine a rigid fee structure for private unaided schools.
“Regulation of fee is completely different from fixation. We have always been supportive of the former and has been with the state government to ensure this in a legit manner,” he said.
Even when the state government’s stance on the issue has been fair, some BEOs and DDPIs have been trying to misrepresent facts and tweak the implementation of rules. They have been asking schools to fix fee within a cap of Rs 500 to Rs 11,000 annually, he accused, adding that ‘elite’ schools were not questioned at all while budget schools are always targeted.
Welcoming complaints if any such instance has occurred under his jurisdiction DDPI Gowda said that the matter will be looked into with priority if any private management raises a grievance.
Fee regulation or fixation?
“With the constant delay from the state government to notify private managements with regard to fee structures, such issues stem up mostly during this season. An official notification from the concerned authority with a proper, consulted and approved fee formula would end confusions in this matter,” said D. Shashikumar, KAMS general secretary.
"Official notification will be issued soon after the code of conduct in place for elections is raised," said Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education.
