Telangana: School fees control body to be ready for 2016-17

Hyderabad : An effective fee regulatory mechanism involving retired judges to regulate fees in private schools would be in place in Telangana from 2016-17.

Following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's directions, the department of school education has expedited the process for setting up a fee regulatory committee which will be placed before the Cabinet for approval in March.

The government will introduce a bill in the ensuing budget session in March to accord statutory powers to the committee.

The CM took this issue seriously after several of his ministers and TRS leaders brought to his notice that the major complaint they have been receiving from the public during ongoing GHMC election campaign was about higher schools fees and the need for the government to control it.

Various parents associations have submitted several representations in this regard to IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, Nizamabad MP K. Kavita, city ministers and other TRS leaders during campaigning.

The Chief Minister said on Thursday, “I too share the concern raised by parents on this issue. They are angry at too much commercialisation by some schools. There is a need to regulate fees in private schools and our education minister is already on the job. The proposal  may come up in the next cabinet meeting .”

Deputy CM holding education portfolio, Kadiam Srihari said the government wants to control fees in all the schools, irrespective of their affiliation to CBSE, ICSE boards etc.

When asked about recent SC ruling on Tamil Nadu CBSE schools that TN government can't regulate fees in these schools, he said, “We will study the judgement and take a decision accordingly.” The parent associations welcomed the CM’s statement. "We have been agitating on this issue for over an year," said N. Subramanyam, secretary, Hyderabad Schools Parents Association.