Parents fume over ‘late fees' despite advance payments
Hyderabad: Many parents are outraged as schools slap them with daily late fees — even when fees are paid for an entire term in advance. With no option to pay monthly, families are questioning why they're being penalised for minor delays in lump-sum payments made just three times a year.Parents argue that its unreasonable to charge a per-day late fee.
Schools demand full-term fees upfront, yet charge Rs 20 or more per day as a late fee if the payment is even slightly delayed — leaving parents feeling cornered."My child's school set April 15 as the last date to pay the first term fee. I paid just 20 days later and had to cough up Rs 400 in late fees," said a parent from a CBSE school in Himayatnagar. "We're already paying fees for four months in advance, and now we're being penalised too. It seems like schools are finding new ways to exploit parents." Another parent, whose child goes to a school in SR Nagar, said he too had to pay a late fee for about 45 days. "I was not given any other option. The school refused to accept the fee unless I paid the late charges," he said.Many parents believe schools are taking advantage of the lack of fee regulation in Telangana. "They increase fees every year, charge arbitrarily under various heads, and now add late fees to the mix," said Venkat Sainath K, organising secretary of the Hyderabad School Parents' Association (HSPA). "The govt must act. We need a regulatory commission that clearly defines what schools can charge."Meanwhile, some school principals defended the charges, claiming the late fee ensures financial discipline. But the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) doesn't agree. "Schools cannot arbitrarily collect late fees. This is unacceptable," said PL Vishweshwar Rao, member of TEC. "If we receive a formal complaint against any school, the commission will take action." Will introduce fee regulation: PanelHyderabad: The cabinet subcommittee tasked with implementing the Right to Education and fee regulation in Telangana met with parents and school managements on Monday. The committee reiterated its commitment to introducing a school fee regulatory framework in the state. "We've briefed the committee about the situation. Schools have increased fees by nearly 60% this year, anticipating that regulations might finally come into force. We hope the govt acts swiftly now," said a member of the Hyderabad School Parents' Association (HSPA).
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