Telangana opposes hike in school fees

Hyderabad: Telangana state school education department filed a petition to get a stay vacated on the school fee hike order.  The Telangana government had ordered status quo on the fee hike on January 4, 2018, for the coming academic year.  It was aimed at regulating tuition fees. The circular also instructed city private schools to not to collect any fee in excess of the notified amount. However, a petition was filed by Independent Schools Management Association, Hyderabad, challenging the Government memo banning fee hike. 

Following Hyderabad High Court order allowing private schools in Hyderabad and across Telangana to raise school fees, school education department filed a petition on March 20, to get a stay on the order vacated. Though parents welcomed the move by the State Government, members of Hyderabad School Parents Associations (HSPA) questioned the delay. 

They feared that as the case was listed for April 23 after which the courts would be on vacation. By the time the vacation ended, all schools would have already collected the increased fees. According to HSPA, if the government was really serious about the case, it would have mentioned it with the CJI and sought priority hearing. Parents said many schools had already finished the admissions for the coming academic year and fee payments had been done.

Joint secretary of HSPA K. Venkat Sainath told Deccan Chronicle, “It is good to note that the government has filed a vacate stay petition. However, we are still forced to conclude that this is nothing but an eyewash.” Association member Hridesh Gupta said, “The Government finally woke up. I just learnt that Uttar Pradesh passed an ordinance to stop school fee hike with immediate effect. I request Telangana to fight the case strongly in the court and bring an ordinance in Assembly.” The Commissioner of School Education was not available for comment.

School ‘bows’ to parent pressure

An international school, which had been demanding a first-term fee of Rs 84,000 after the parents had allegedly not applied for transfer certificate three months in advance, finally gave in. The student was given the TC (transfer certificate) without have to pay the additional amount. Hyderabad School Parents Association guided and counselled the parents. Association member Pavan Reddy said it was a small victory against ‘school fee loot’ in the state by private schools.