Hyderabad: Private schools hiked fees by 10-15 per cent and informed parents that they had not received any notification from the government regarding status quo of the fee structure. They said they would proceed with the increased fee slabs for the next academic year.
Authorities of schools where parents went to inquire for admission to their wards quoted high fees. No notification had been sent to the Mandal Education Office yet regarding maintaining the fee structure as it was during the last academic year. Private schools were enrolling children and taking the hiked fees, parents complained.
A parent. Sachin B., said, “When I enquired with Epistemo Global School at Nallagandla for admission into Class II, I was told that the fee is 12 per cent higher than the 2017-18 slab. On informing the management about the government ordering a status quo, I was told that no notification or circular had reached the school.”
Even Birla Open Minds at Gachibowli hiked fees. Another parent, Mr Ramanjeet Singh of Gachibowli, said, “Santa Maria at Lingampally, Manthan International School at Tellapur, Chirec at Kondapur and Phoenix Green at Gachibowli have increased the fees on transport for the next academic year.”
Mr K. Venkat Sainath added, “Private schools in Hyderabad are over 3,000 in number. The government announced the status quo on January 4 and the circular had still not reached the mandal education officers and even the school till January 6. While schools have already raised the admission fee, an LKG admission that was Rs 70,000 last year was now Rs 77,000. Gitanjali Devashray, SD Road, and St Andrew’s School (certain branches ) have hiked the fees.”
Prior to the status quo order, minister for education Kadiam Srihari had clarified, “There won’t be any admission into schools and those finalised will not be considered till the government takes decisions on the fee hike.”
But parents said that despite clear orders, schools had completed 80 per cent of their admissions and had not adhered to the government directions. Members of Telangana Registered Schools Association did not respond when contacted.
