Maha issues GR to reduce school fees by 15%
MUMBAI: Wary of adverse reactions from parents, the Maharashtra government on Thursday decided to go ahead with its decision to reduce school fees by 15%, despite the opposition from several cabinet ministers. A government resolution (GR) to this effect was issued by the education department on Thursday evening.
Coincidentally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced a statewide agitation for reduction in school fees, saying the government is full of education barons, who don’t want this to happen. Several Nationalist Congress Party-congress ministers run private educational institutions.
School education minister Varsha Gaikwad had on July 28 declared the cabinet had decided to slash private school fees for the current academic year by 15%. The decision was taken on the lines of the Supreme Court’s (SC) order for reduction of fees for schools in Rajasthan. Last month, the Apex court had asked the Maharashtra government to consider its May judgement to collect 15% lower school fees. The court was hearing a special leave petition filed by schools against the Bombay high court order dated March 1, 2021 that had vacated the stay on the government resolution (GR) (issued on May 8, 2020) restraining schools from hiking fees for the academic year of 2020-21 in view of the pandemic. The state school education department also wanted to bring in an amendment to the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011 as the government has no powers to intervene in matters related to fees in private unaided schools. According to the legal advice sought by the department, the government resolution will have no legal standing without the government having jurisdiction to intervene.
Other ministers were, however, of the view that there was no need to intervene in matters related to private schools as they were facing financial issues. They also said that amending the existing fee regulation act was unnecessary, and an order (GR) was enough to implement it. The proposal for amendment in the act could not be approved in the state cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
In its GR issued on Thursday, the school education department referred to the SC order and said, “For the academic year 2021-22, all schools should reduce fees by 15%. In cases where fees were already paid by the parents, the excess amount (15% of the total fees) should be adjusted in the coming months of this academic year and if it is not possible then it should be returned to the parents. In case of a dispute over fee reduction, divisional grievance redressal committees can be approached and their decision will stand final… No school management should stop students from attending physical or online classes or appearing for exams in case full or partial fees are pending. The management is not allowed to hold back their exams results.” “Most private schools have reached a decision in mutual understanding with parents over fees. They have also collected the fee amount and any such order is likely to create a mess,” said a senior minister, requesting anonymity.
Another senior NCP minister said, “The proposal for reducing 15% fees was not opposed in the cabinet meeting. There were differences over the way the decision needs to be implemented.”
State revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said, “Many private schools are shut for more than one-and-a-half years. If the parents are in financial trouble, we can understand, but if the parents won’t pay their fees then the school management will not be able to pay the salaries of their staff.” “Issuing a GR makes no sense as it will not stand in the court of law,” said a senior school education official.
There has been a constant demand from parents to reduce school fees as people are in trouble owing to subsequent lockdowns imposed to contain Covid-19 pandemic. Soon after the Supreme Court order, parents from Maharashtra in a letter addressed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Gaikwad urged the state to grant some relief to parents of private schools in the state. It was written on behalf of Indiawide Parents Association.