Hyderabad: The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) appeared to be washing its hands off while hapless parents wondered if it would take action to control the fee structure in private junior colleges and bring relief to them.
The issue of huge fees collected by private institutions came to the fore when Narayana Junior College refused to issue a transfer certificate to a student on Friday. In the subsequent protest, two students and a college staffer suffered serious burn injuries. The unrepentant TSBIE officials said that nobody was forcing parents to admit their children in private colleges when several government junior colleges provide free and quality education.
“According to TSBIE norms, Rs.1,780 is the fee that private junior colleges can collect for one academic year. This was set long back and needs revision. With respect to private colleges, parents are well aware of the fees before admission. It is when they are unable to pay the money or collect certificates, that they remember the board. The belief that government colleges are for the poor is 100 per cent is a mistaken notion,” said Dasari Oddenna, district Intermediate education officer (DIEO), Hyderabad. He said that Narayana Junior College had given its explanation on the incident but he refused to divulge the details.
When contacted about the fee they collect, the Narayana Group maintained, “This is an unfortunate accident and we are keeping a close watch on the situation. We would like to refrain from making any further comments on this at this juncture.” Private colleges charge Rs.1,000 to Rs.4,000 for issuing a TC and other certificates, said Asif Sohail Hussain, president of Telangana Parents Association.
Most colleges demand the entire two-year fee upfront and do not refund any amount if the student moves out. “Such harassment by private colleges leads students to commit suicides while parents are put to ordeals. This must be checked,” he said. Narayana Group refused to comment on fee, says Friday’s fire was an “unfortunate accident.”
