After the Chief Minister’s announcement that schools should not increase the fee for the 2020-21 academic year recently, the government issued orders accordingly warning schools of stringent action for non-compliance, including cancellation of affiliation and legal action, as per the norms.
Chitra Ramachandran, Special Chief Secretary, said the orders would be applicable to all private unaided recognised schools in the State, irrespective of their affiliation to State Board, Central Board of School Education, or ICSE.
Schools would be allowed to collect only tuition fee and that too on a monthly basis till further orders. Any violation would lead to cancellation of recognition, revoking of the no-objection certificate already granted for affiliation to other boards apart from appropriate action under relevant acts and rules.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of School Education issued a statement asking parents to lodge complaints if schools violated the norms. Parents can call on toll-free number 1800 425 7462 or send mail to commr.edn.greviance@gmail.com
Parents’ fear
However, the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA), which has been spearheading the agitation against fleecing of parents by school managements, requested the government to keep a close watch on the schools as they could manipulate the very meaning of ‘tuition fee” as there was no structured definition for schools to follow. Parents fear that schools may club all other heads like building fee, annual fee, extra-curricular activities fee or library fee into tuition fee head and collect the same from parents.
