Toll-free number 9150381111 in AP to lodge complaint against high fee collection

Vijayawada: The AP School Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission (APSERMC) chairman Justice Kantha Rao said on Thursday that there was no fee structure in AP for decades and a fee structure was formulated for the first time in the state to help people get good education at affordable fees.

Addressing the media here, he said toll-free number 9150381111 started functioning for those seeking to lodge complaints about collection of high fees in private schools and colleges. The APSERMC would take action on those complaints.

Justice Rao said the government issued GO53 and GO54 regarding the new fee structure. He noted that there is a huge difference between AP and other states in collection of fees, as private educational institutions collected huge fees without any controls. “In the past 20 years, there was no governmental step for regulation of fee structure in the state. Parents have the right to lodge complaints against private educational institutions if they charge more fees.

He pointed out that the APSERMC had visited private educational institutions and consulted parents and management to hear all sides before finalising the new fee structure.

He said there is no problem with the new fee structure for 80 per cent of the educational institutions. The APSERMC had inspected 360 educational institutions and recommended action against 120 private colleges for violation of norms. He advised the educational institutions to follow the fee structure and warned of stern action against violators. He appealed to the people to make good use of the 9150381111 toll free number and lodge complaints about violations.

The APSERMC vice chairman Vijayasarada Reddy said chief minister Jagan brought forward the fee structure to free the education sector from the clutches of corporate robbers. She said the government has confirmed that these fees will be applicable for the three academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The secretary of APSERMC Aluri Sambashivareddy said the managements of private educational institutions themselves have been fixing fees and charging higher fees as they pleased. The commission would take appropriate action if any wrongdoing was reported in the collection of fees at educational institutions.