‘Submit docs on fees to edu dept’

MOVE CAME AFTER STUDENT ASSN REQUESTED GOVT TO LOOK INTO FEE-RELATED COMPLAINTS

MUMBAI: With several complaints concerning private schools charging indiscriminate fees coming to light, the state education department has directed its officials to ensure that schools across boards and managements submit documents with reference to fees to the department.

In a letter addressed to officials at the education department, the director of primary education in the state has ordered that documents on feesuch as papers of PTA approvals, finances of school etc be sent to the department.

The move came after CAPS student organisation requested the government to look into feerelated complaints of parents.

“Several schools are charging students indiscriminately and are not following norms concerning fee hikes. In many places, the Parent Teacher Association is not formed as per the due process and fee hikes are still approved without following norms. We thus hope that the government acts in this regard and keeps a tab on fees across schools,” stated the letter given by the student organisation.

As per the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011, it is binding on schools to submit records of fee hikes and fee-related decisions to education authorities regularly. However, in the past, despite requests from parent bodies, the department has seldom acted against schools that fail to submit their records and still hike fees indiscriminately. The state government recently formed an expert committee to suggest changes and revisions in the fee act and had also invited suggestions from various stakeholders for the same.