Telangana Cabinet may discuss bill to regulate private school fees

Some schools increased fees by nearly 30% this year, allege parents

Among the key recommendations is restricting fee hikes to 8% every two years instead of annual double-digit increases. Photo | Express illustrations

HYDERABAD: In what could be the government’s first major move to regulate fees charged by private and corporate schools, the proposed Telangana Private Unaided School Fee Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Bill is likely to be taken up during the Cabinet meeting scheduled on Saturday.

Drafted by the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) under the leadership of Akunuri Murali, chairman of the commission, the proposed Bill seeks to cap fee hikes in private schools at 8% once every two years.

It also recommends the establishment of a statutory regulatory body and proposes penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh against schools violating the prescribed fee ceilings.

Among the key recommendations is restricting fee hikes to 8% every two years instead of annual double-digit increases. The draft also proposes the constitution of the Telangana Private Unaided Schools Fee Regulatory and Monitoring Commission, headed by a former high court or Supreme Court judge.

The commission has further recommended categorising schools based on infrastructure, amenities and actual operational costs to determine realistic and standardised fee ceilings.

It has also proposed the implementation of the 25% reservation for underprivileged students under the Right to Education Act.

In an attempt to curb arbitrary collections, the Bill proposes a ban on charging additional amounts in the name of donations, development funds or miscellaneous fees. To improve transparency and accountability, all private institutions would also be required to constitute parent-teacher associations.

Official sources said the TEC submitted the draft Bill to the state government last year, but it remained pending. Amid growing concern over rising private school fees, the proposal is likely to come up for discussion during the upcoming Cabinet meeting, they said.

Parents’ associations and education activists have alleged that several institutions continue to impose steep hike in tuition and miscellaneous charges, with some schools reportedly increasing fees by nearly 30% this year.