The state government has warned private schools against increasing tuition fees by citing excuses such as increase in the property tax and other charges. It categorically stated that school managements must obtain mandatory approval for any fee hike from their Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and the school education department. The managements of private schools have announced their plans to increase fees by 40 per cent from the academic year 2012-13, citing increase in property tax, electricity, water charges etc.
“The government will not sit quiet if private schools resort to arbitrary hikes. Increasing the fee up to 40 per cent on the grounds that the government has raised taxes is totally ridiculous. Property tax is paid once a year. That too, most schools pay less than Rs 2 lakh property tax, even after revised rates. Schools that have enrolment of hundreds and thousands, can recover more than this amount even if the fee is raised by Rs 10 a month. This is totally unacceptable. We will take severe action against such schools that resort to indiscriminate fee hikes,” declared Mr Partha-sarathi, minister for secondary education. The minister has decided to convene a high-level meeting with officials of the school education department to discuss the fee issue. The government has already issued certain GOs to regulate fee structure in private schools.
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