New Delhi, May 30: The private school managements may face criminal proceedings for adopting unfair means in matters of admission, tuition fee and salary of teachers. The Government is contemplating a legislation to make such acts criminal offense.
‘The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Schools and Intermediate Colleges Bill, 2011’ would seek to promote transparency through mandatory self-disclosure in the prospectus and website, providing adequate and accessible recourse for remedial action arising out of non-adherence to self-disclosed details and norms. The legislation would have provision for criminal prosecution and civil penalties for violations, sources said.
The proposed legislation would be broadly on the lines of the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2011, already introduced in Parliament, said sources in the HRD Ministry.
It would also be taken up for deliberation at the forthcoming meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) here next month, informed the sources.
The Bill has been proposed in the wake of increased complaints received by boards related to unfair means indulged by a section of private schools as demanding donations, overcharging of fees and non issuance of written receipts of payments etc, informed the sources.
The charges against these schools also include non- refund of fees, not adhering to syllabus disclosed to public, admission through non-transparent processes, misleading advertisements, engagement of unqualified or ineligible teaching faculty, underpayment to teachers and other employees, etc.
The Bill would prohibit the private institutions from accepting any fee or charges by any institution without issuing receipt, sources added. It would also make mandatory for every institution to publish its prospectus in print and on its website and such prospectus should contain all relevant information about the institution.
Adequate safeguards would be built into the legislation so that there is no misuse of authority while imposing penalties of a civil nature or prosecution leading to punishment.
–Agencies–