Regulate school fee not just fee hike: HSPA

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) urged the School Education department to regulate the fee charged by the schools, not just the fee hiked. HSPA joint secretary, K Venkat Sainath said in a representation submitted to the department on Friday, said, “several schools, especially the older and established ones, have been trying to sell this […]

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) urged the School Education department to regulate the fee charged by the schools, not just the fee hiked.

HSPA joint secretary, K Venkat Sainath said in a representation submitted to the department on Friday, said, “several schools, especially the older and established ones, have been trying to sell this idea to the government that the regulation of the fee hike percentage (around 10 per cent annum) alone, without regulating the base fee, is the best way to regulate school fees. If the government accepts this, the new legislation will turn out to be a bonanza for the schools and an unmitigated disaster for the parents.”

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The parents association that took part in a meeting convened by the department officials on fee regulation also wanted the department to define the terms “fee” and “private schools” stating that it was the most critical aspect of any fee regulatory mechanism.

The HSPA sought mandatory prior approval for fee hikes for all schools. “Some of the legislations, like those brought in Delhi, have tried to suggest post-facto approval i.e., schools will be at liberty to hike the fees but the parents will have a right to complain and seek redressal. Experience, however, shows that once the fee is collected, it is almost impossible to get it refunded. Hence, approval before fee hikes is an absolute must,” Sainath said.

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