Hyderabad, June 27: The deadline set by the five-member Fee Regulatory Committee for complaints and suggestions to curb the exorbitant fee hikes in schools elapsed on Friday. But parents who admitted their children in schools, are in a fix because the committee’s final report is likely to come only in another week’s time, that too if everything falls in place. The Fee Regulatory Committee has not made its stand clear on whether they would issue an order ensuring that the ‘unduly hiked’ fee would be returned to the parents.
This has left parents groping in the darkness as the last date to pay the school fee is fast approaching in the schools.
The Meridian and Delhi Public School
Parents Association members have been carrying out a protest by not remitting the fee of the students. They hope that educational authorities will issue an order or notice to school managements stating that they should not collect fees till the final decision by the committee comes through.
“The school management has announced that the last date for paying the fee is June 30 and they have already sent the notice twice. But we don’t want to stop our protest since the final outcome has not come. We only hope that the Collector would come up with an order to postpone the last date for paying the fee in these schools,” said a parent and member of the Hyderabad Schools’ Parents Association. Another member of Meridian School Parents Association recalled that they had started the campaign well in advance and even approached the court but no action was taken. The member said any delay in the Fee panel’s report would cause embarrassment for students who have to come face-to-face with school authorities regularly.
Working president of the Recognised School Management Association, VV Rao said that there are no strict rules for the last date of receipt of school fees.
“Once admissions are over, each school should inform the District Education Officer about the rolls and student strength of the school. This can be delayed and many corporate schools are pressurising parents saying that they would remove their children from the rolls,” he explained.
Member of the fee Regulatory Committee and Hyderabad district Collector Navin Mittal informed that they have received around 300 suggestions, complaints and representations from various stakeholders involved in the issue.
“The final report would be submitted to the Chief Secretary and Chief Minister in the first week of July. We are also contemplating releasing a notice to schools, which are pressurising parents about the fee, on Monday,” Mittal said.
–Agencies–