State to crack down on erring schools
Special Correspondent
Plans to lay down fee structure for private schools
Objective to curb tendency among schools to charge exorbitant fee
Complaints cell to be set up in DEO office with phone no. 69996399
Hyderabad: Are you tired of paying through your nose for your child’s study? Capitation fee, donation and what not? Don’t despair. Just dash off a written complaint to the Hyderabad Collector or better still produce the receipt and be rest assured about the action. The donation paid would also be refunded.
The district authorities have decided to throw the rule book at the erring educational institutions. Alarmed by the exorbitant fee and donations being collected by a large number of schools, the district administration has proposed to prescribe a ceiling on fee. A proposal has been drafted and it is being sent to the government for approval.
Fee structure
District Collector Navin Mittal told presspersons here on Wednesday that an annual fee of Rs. 24,000 is proposed for Classes I to V for all State government-recognised schools. For high schools, the fee proposed is Rs. 30,000 per annum. For schools with CBSE/ICSE syllabus the fee proposed for primary sections is Rs. 42,000 and high schools is Rs. 48,000.
However, this does not cover the costs towards transport, food, uniform and text books. At the same time the school managements should not insist on students to avail these facilities.
The fee structure had been evolved taking into account various factors, including the salary being paid to the teachers. “The fee should not be so low as to kill education and not too high that it becomes a burden.”, Mr. Mittal said. He said there were enough provisions to take action under section 5 of Andhra Pradesh Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Prohibition of capitation fee) Act, 1983. Only it had not been implemented so far. “The idea is to curb the tendency among schools to charge exorbitant fee. If no action is taken now things would go out of hand in future”, the Collector remarked.
He said a cell would be set up in the DEO office with phone number 69996399 to receive complaints. A three member committee with Assistant Director (Legal), Deputy Educational Officer and superintendent will monitor the cell.
As of now government had not prescribed any fee for schools.
As per the Act collection of capitation fee was strictly prohibited. Donations should be voluntary and they should be deposited in bank account and used for development purpose. Contravention of the Act was punishable with imprisonment not less than 3 years and it can be extended up to 7 years with a fine of Rs. 5,000.
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/14/stories/2009051458460300.htm
