Undeclared price of primary education

Hyderabad: Concessions awarded by the state government to encourage education don’t seem to be reflected in the fees collected by schools from parents. Many managements affirm to the Registrar of Societies that “This society is formed with no profit motive and no commercial activity is involved in its working”, while obtaining the certificate mandatory for setting up a school. But large amounts of money are being collected under separate heads like admission fee, caution fund, registration fee, tuition fee, transportation fee, textbooks and school uniform fee.

Against the amounts collected, many schools seek relaxation in one form of the other, from different government departments. The quarterly tax they pay for operating school buses is low — between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per mini-van or mini-bus, one-tenth of the rate for commercial vehicles. The property tax that schools pay is significantly below commercial tariffs, and some school managements, especially minority institutions and those run by trusts, are demanding exemption.

According to education department officials, societies that establish schools promise to provide education to the poor but no one follows it. “Every single school management gives this in writing to the school education department, but a majority does not implement it. This is the harsh truth,” an official said. On the other hand, parents of children who seek admission are ready to follow what the institutions tell them to do. They are told to pay the entire fee or lose the seat.

The School Fee Regulation JAC of parents says the tuition fees in all leading private schools has been hiked by 20 per cent citing inflation. “Managements have transformed education into a commercial business. They should not be extended any tax benefits under the Societies Act if they are in violation,” said JAC chairman Aravinda Jata.

Missionary Schools Association president Bro. Show Reddy said schools are left with a five-per cent profit margin after all expenses. The Central Board of Secondary Education has stated that tuition fee was commensurate with the facilities on offer. “According to CBSE rules, fees will depend on facilities in that particular school. Parents very well know it,” an official from KV Regional Office in Chennai told this newspaper.

Telangana government giving wrong info: Parents

The Hyderabad Schools Parents Association has alleged that majority of private schools are collecting huge admission fees even for the academic year 2016 -17.
The HSPA, in a press release, referred to the affidavit filed by the state government on a petition moved by it with regard to exorbitant fees, and said the government was refusing to accept the proof submitted by it regarding some schools collecting huge amounts. It was continuing to wrongfully say that there was no proof of admission fee (donations) above Rs 5,000 being collected. It said a few schools stopped collecting admission fees this year. It said some were charging money under different heads and many were even collecting cash, without any receipts.