HYDERABAD: The Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA) has raised concerns and objected to a number of proposals made in the Telangana Private Schools and Junior Colleges Fee Regulatory and Monitoring Commission draft bill.
The association wrote a letter to the Cabinet sub-committee on fee regulation in unaided private schools and junior colleges, asking it to restructure the parent-teacher committee. This committee, as per the draft bill, will comprise management, teachers, headmaster and parents, which the association said would give limited authority to the school management in the fee determination process.
The association suggested replacing the committee with a school governing body as per the GO Ms No 1 from 1994, which would provide for a more balanced and practical governance framework.
TRSMA president S Madhusudhan said, “If the draft bill is implemented in its current form, it may lead to the closure of a large number of unaided budget private schools, potentially resulting in a severe disruption to the education of lakhs of students who depend on these institutions.
We therefore urge the Cabinet sub-committee to review and revise the draft bill before its presentation in the Legislative Assembly. Incorporating our proposals will ensure that the regulatory framework is balanced, practical, and supportive of quality education delivery by private unaided institutions.”
TRSMA also highlighted that there was a lack of clarity on the categorisation criteria for schools and that more transparent guidelines on categorisation was required.
It further said that the draft lacked provisions for schools to repay both interest and principal on loans and sought inclusion of the provision for financial sustainability.
The association stressed that mandating all the unaided private schools to obtain annual fee approval from the District Finance and Revenue Officer would lead to additional administrative burden, considering over 12,000 schools, out of which 90% were private schools. It suggested that exemption be made for schools which charge annual fees less than Rs 50,000 for primary classes, Rs 60,000 for upper primary classes and Rs 70,000 for high school classes.
Other concerns highlighted in the letter included making maintaining school websites optional, not scrapping the cash receipts and permission for schools to accept fees through multiple modes, including cash, as it could pose a challenge in rural and urban slums, removal of cap on fee increase and allowing schools to revise annually in line with cost structures.