Parents urge TS to curb school fee hike

Experts suggest adoption of Delhi’s education policy

Education experts and city parents want the state government to curb increase in school fees as the Delhi government has done.

Besides regulating private schools, the Delhi government is also strengthening government schools, which should be the backbone of any country’s education system.

The TRS government in Telangana state, however, is quite different from Arvind Kejriwal’s government.

It allegedly has a strong nexus with education entrepreneurs.

The Telangana Parents Association and some education expert say the government is issuing GOs and proceedings to dampen the parents’ struggle against exorbitant fees.

N. Narayana, an educationist, said, “The Delhi government has imposed some regulation on admissions and fees in private schools. Several schools have refunded the excess fee. But this was done in schools established on government land; other schools are yet to obey the orders. Anyhow the AAP government is doing something to control private schools. Besides, that they are strengthening government schools. This is the real weapon to control the business of private education.”

He said that the TRS government in TS is different.

He said, “A considerable number of ministers, MLAs and MLCs have won elections with the money gained through the education business. The government is issuing GOs and proceedings to escape from the parents’ unrest and struggles against the exorbitant fees. When the managements challenge the government orders in court, the government does not make enough of an effort to defend its own orders!”

Hridhesh Gupta, member, Hyderabad Schools Parents Associations (HSPA) also believes the Delhi government is paying lots of attention to education.

“School fees are quite reasonable in Delhi when compared to Hyderabad and the government is controlling private schools. In Telangana the government is not paying attention to regulating school fees,” Mr Gupta said.

He said that the government talks about Bangaru Telangana, “but it cannot be true unless they pay attention to education.”

Pavan Reddy, a city parent, said that the Delhi Chief Minister is “the only politician trying to arrest the school fee loot by acting against erring school managements.”