Telangana: Fee whip on 162 schools

Hyderabad: Private schools collecting exorbitant fees from parents will have to face the heat in the coming weeks. The vigilance measures are the very same that are being applied to vate colleges, which are now running for cover.

The Telangana government will be cracking the whip on 162 private schools, including international, corporate, missionary etc. that are being accused of fleecing parents in the name of fees.

The Education department took this decision in view of parents’ complaints and also due to a PIL relating to fee hikes in the High Court. Teams comprising personnel from the education department and auditors will be inspecting these schools across Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts in the coming weeks.

A higher official of the department said they would check records to verify whether the admission fees collected by these schools were above the stipulated Rs 5,000. The inspection teams will also check the annual tuition fees of schools and how the fee amount was being spent on teachers’ salaries and other expenses.

The Education wing will also be serving notices to schools found violating government norms. The office of Regional Joint Director, Hyderabad region will be monitoring the process.

Close to 35 high-profile international schools that have established big campuses in the city outskirts also figure in this list of 162 schools.

The Hyderabad School Parents Association had filed a PIL in the High Court against the massive hike of school fees by private institutions. The court had directed the Education department to look into the concerns of the parents’ association. The next hearing is on June 6. The HSPA had earlier complained against 12 schools and the government had checked the schools’ records and submitted a report to the court. These inspections are now being extended to the remaining schools in the city.

Parents seek stern action against fee rule violators
The School Fee Regulation JAC, formed with the sole intent of applying checks on the excesses of private school managements, has urged the government to take stringent steps so that no school crosses the line in the future.

SFR JAC joint secretary Mr Ashish Naredi said schools were collecting fees ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 2.47 lakh at the time of admission. This is in gross violation of the government’s rule that specifies that admission fees should not go beyond Rs 5,000. Because of the high fees charged by a few schools (less than 200), all private institutions were getting a bad name, said S.N. Narsi Reddy of the Telangana Recognised Schools Management Association (TRSMA).

“We have nearly 14,000 private schools in 10 districts of Telangana that charge reasonable fees unlike these high-profile schools. While taking action against such schools flouting rules, the government should take steps to save the small schools, which are providing education at a low cost and also jobs to unemployed youth,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ms Anitha, a parent from BHEL, slammed the lack of regulations in private schools in the state capital. “Many established schools are collecting massive fees at the time of admission under different categories such as school development fund and building fund. While some school managements are giving  receipts, others are not — which is proof money is not being accounted for. The government should step in and ensure everyone falls in line,” she said.

Meanwhile, to garner further support, the SFR JAC and HSPA are conducting a public hearing on Friday. Parents and stakeholders have been asked to express their views before a panel comprising retired justice B. Chandrakumar and other experts.