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Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Parents slam pvt schools over hefty fee hikes
Hyderabad: Several private schools in the city increased fees by nearly 60 per cent this year, in violation of the fee regulation. Parents poured out their woes to pay the hefty fees in the new academic year and demanded that the government rescue them from the huge financial burden. A few parents believe that schools are taking advantage due to a lack of fee regulation in Telangana, and along with charging hefty fees, many schools across the city has been coming up with several tactics to loot parents, as they are penalising them for minor delays in lumpsum payments made just three times a year. Several surveys reveal that the fees in private schools have been almost doubled in the past few years, and the government is not taking any steps to control the fee hikes. About 36 lakh students of the state are studying in these schools and the private educational institutions do not follow government rules and collect lakhs of rupees from students every year. Recently, the Telangana Recognized School Managements Association (TRSMA) and Hyderabad School Parents' Association (HSPA) submitted several representations as there was lack of clarity on draft bill for Telangana Private Schools and Junior Colleges fee regulation and monitoring commission that was proposed by state government. Venkat Sainath, organising secretary, HSPA, said, 'Every year, private schools are increasing the annual fees. This year, many schools have increased fees to 60 per cent, and a few schools have increased to 100 per cent. This is happening because there is no proper school fee regulatory framework. It will be better if the state government comes up with a regulatory commission that will have clarity on what schools can charge.' The Right to Education Act is very clear about the setting up of private schools, the appointment of teachers, etc. It says that if the provisions mentioned in the schedule are not implemented, the recognition of the school should be canceled, if the capitation fee and donations are collected, the schools should be fined up to ten times, and if the entrance test is given to the children, fines of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 may be imposed. Also, this Act states that 25 per cent of the seats from the primary class in every school should be given to children from backwards classes, so we urged that public education should be strengthened in the spirit of the Right to Education Act and a fee regulation act should be made, he added.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
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 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 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).
