Schools told to maintain fee at last year’s level

SCHOOL MANAGEMENTS have not implemented any instructions given by the director of school education earlier, it said. TSPA ALLEGED that circular may be an “eye wash”

The Telangana state school education department has directed private schools to maintain status quo on the fee for 2018-2019 until further orders.

A circular issued by the school education department on Thursday said the order would be effective for private, unaided, recognised, aided, state CBSE, Cambridge and IB schools.

“Necessary action will be taken against schools that do not follow the orders,” it said.

The department said the report on fee hike submitted by the Prof. Tirupathi Rao committee was still to be examined with reference to legal provisions, which may take some time.

The Telangana state school education department has directed private schools to maintain status quo on the fee for 20182019 until further orders.

Reacting to the development, HSPA member Ashish Naredi said it was a big victory. “A very welcome step by the government, at last. We had pointed out to the government the danger of schools beginning their admissions with a fee hike,”

Association member Seema Agarwal thanked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Deputy Chief Minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari, Special Chief Secretary Ranjeev Acharya and commissioner for education G. Kishan for this step.

“We would also like to exercise a word of caution as this is a temporary stay,” Ms Agarwal said and added that the association hoped that the final order on the issue would be equally stringent.

The Telanagana Parents Association alleged that circular may be an “eye wash”. School managements have not implemented any instructions given by the director of school education earlier, it said.