VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh School Education Regulation and Monitoring Commission (APSERMC) has decided to set stringent guidelines for private schools and junior colleges regarding admission fees and facilities provided at their institutions and hostels. Addressing mediapersons here on Monday, APSERMC chairperson Justice Kanta Rao stated that several irregularities were found at 130 private schools and junior colleges across the State during the two-day inspections conducted by the commission. “A 20-member team in each district — two officials at each of the 10 institutions in one district — were deployed by the commission.
The team included professors and other education and policy experts. We have decided to take strict and immediate action against the institutes for flouting rules,” Rao maintained. Commission secretary Sambasiva Reddy said that many institutes had only one professor for a subject in all branches. “We found that several managements had employed just one teacher for subjects like Mathematics, English to teach at all their branches in one city. As a result, the teachers are not able to concentrate on their work and they miss several classes,” he said.
Also, many institutions were found charging extra fees in the middle of the course. “After collecting the admission fees, the managements demand more money from students in the name of extra classes, providing better stationery and other amenities,” said vice-chairperson of the commission Dr Vijaya Sarada Reddy. The commission has decided to impose fines on schools for violating rules, as a primary punishment. The commission will cancel the recognition of the institutions if they repeat their mistake, he warned. The commission is also working on fixing the lapses of the government. “During the two-day inspections, several principals and management authorities said that there were no specific guidelines in terms of fees and maintaining hostels.
We could not take actions on the spot against them due to such lapses on the part of the government,” said the secretary. The commission will soon prepare a set of guidelines, which will be communicated to all the private managements. These rules should be implemented by the managements from the coming academic year. The commission will also provide a toll free number for the students and parents to complain against their respective schools, colleges and hostels. This apart, the institutions under the CBSE and ICSE Board will also be inspected by the commission.
“These institutes, though they do not belong to the State board, are running their schools and colleges in Andhra Pradesh. Thus, the government has full authority to inspect them as well,” said Reddy. Notices will not be served on these schools, colleges and hostels directly, but instead they will be sent to the respective boards to take suitable action. Meanwhile, the commission has also decided to seek government’s approval for implementing the provision of 25 per cent quota for economically backward children in private institutions as part of the Right to Education Act (RTE).