Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Fee Regulation Act that was made in 2018 could not see the light of day only for want of a portal—or unwillingness to implement it. The Palak Mahasangh has been constantly demanding that the government rein in the fees of private schools that are even raising it during Covid times when most people are undergoing an acute financial crisis.
“The Fee Regulation Act was made in 2018 and the rules made in 2020 after much persuasion by parents, civil society and parents’ organisations,” said state president of the Palak Mahasangh Kamal Vishwakarma.
It took about two years for the school education department to frame the rules for the Fee Regulation Act. One of the important provisions of the rules was that a portal would be made where private schools would present the details of their schools that help the department decide the fee.
“The entry of the portal would have made things transparent, besides justification of the fees decided by them. According to the rules, schools will mention the income and expenditure along with investments and facilities that will remain the main factor for deciding the fees,” said Vishwakarma. He added that it seemed that the schools had been successful in influencing the authorities in the government. Otherwise, there was no reason why a simple portal could not have been made even after years, he added.
Parents want that all private schools should be brought under the ambit of the Fee Regulation Act so that they cannot execute exorbitant and inexplicable rises in fees, says Prabodh Pandya, general secretary of the Palak Mahasangh.
“It’s really sad that, even during the pandemic, several schools have raised their fees and are demanding them from the parents threatening that the results of the children will be withheld. This despite the high court’s orders,” said Pandya.
