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Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
TGEC recommendation on quota gives jitters to schools
Hyderabad: The Draft School Fee Regulation (DSFR) by the Telangana Education Commission (TGEC) to the state government, recommending mandatory implementation of 25 per cent reserved seats to the backward sections of the society, is giving jitters to about 10,000 self-financed schools in the state. Raising the issue, the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA), citing the Telangana State's financial conditions they be spared from bearing the brunt of implementing the TGEC recommendation. The TRSMA said it wholeheartedly welcomes the spirit of the RTE Act's provision of mandating 25 per cent reservation for underprivileged students. However, 'We wish to highlight the prevailing financial challenges being faced by the state, as acknowledged by the Honorable Chief Minister.' It further pointed out that due to the non-release of funds under the 'Best Available School' scheme for the past three years, 'private schools, along with junior and degree colleges, are facing severe financial strain.' Moreover, school managements accommodating Gurukul schools have not received rent reimbursement for extended periods. Against these challenges, the TRSMA on behalf of 10,000 budget schools, has asked the State government not to implement the recommendation made by the TGEC and the RTE, as it would burden schools with uncompensated obligations. Instead, it suggested that the State government provide the necessary financial support directly to students. 'This would empower families to choose the school best suited to their children's needs, including corporate schools,' said TRSMA Karimnagar president K Sanjeeva Reddy. Meanwhile, questions were raised over the transparency and fairness of the TGEC policy perspectives and the failure to take a holistic and inclusive view of the school education. For example, the TGEC is advocating for the conversion of all Telugu medium schools into English medium ones; however, it remains silent on applying this same recommendation to Urdu, Kannada, Marathi, and other medium schools operating in the state. Exposing one standard to one language and quite another to other medium schools. Additionally, while the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act is recommended, which includes reserving 25 percent of seats in all private schools, the TGEC is avoiding the issue of minority institutions that are violating mandatory rules by admitting more non-minority students. Speaking to The Hans India, sources in the state school education department say, 'There are several prominent schools running with a minority tag for decades. However, the number of students given admissions is more than the minority students. This is against the existing rules of granting minority status. The state government can cancel the minority status of such educational institutions,' a TGSED official said. That apart, the minority institutions have been allegedly collecting donations for admissions as much as the private schools. However, neither the state nor any authority ever negotiated with these schools to mandatorily admit a certain number of people from the poorer and underprivileged sections of the state. Further, some of the minority institutions are receiving the fees and donations from non-minority students than the minority students for whose educational promotions they have applied for the minority institution's status.
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.
