MADURAI: Claiming that private, government-aided schools and self-financing colleges are demanding exorbitant fees from the students, various stakeholders, including parents, teachers and members of students' organisations, have urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to instruct the educational institutions to upload the fees structure on their respective websites.
Speaking to TNIE, the mother of a class XII student of a CBSE school said the school authorities had made her daughter, along with 40 other students, sit at the auditorium until she paid Rs 87,000 towards the school fees. "Though I contacted the toll free number 14417, the Chief Educational Officer, and the board, I did not get any positive response," said the single mother.
Meanwhile, sources said that government-aided schools across the State are collecting amounts ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 from the students as fees, particularly for English medium.
However, Chief Educational Officer R Swaminathan said that during an investigation, no school was found to be collecting fees in excess. "Some students have not paid fees for the last academic year. That's why the schools have asked them to pay it," he said.
State Platform for Common School System's (SPCSS) General Secretary PB Prince Gajendra Babu said the Supreme court has allowed the private CBSE, ICSE and IGCSE schools to collect the fees. "However, the schools should not restrict those students who fail to pay the fees from attending classes or appearing for board examinations. Schools should also not withhold the examination results," he said.
Meanwhile, the Special Officer of Tamil Nadu Private Schools Fee Determination Committee said the parents can check the school fees of their children on www.tnfeecommittee.com. He also said since CBSE, ICSE, and IGCSE schools obtained an interim stay from the Supreme Court, they haven't determined fees for these schools after 2016-17.
Retired associate professor and former syndicate member of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and ex-president of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA), M AnandaKrishnan, said as per Section 28 of Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976, the aided colleges are authorised to collect only the fees prescribed by the government.
Responding to the issue, Regional Joint Director for Collegiate Education P PonMuthuramalingam said that he cannot intervene in the college administration. At the same time, he said if any student lodges a complaint regarding exorbitant fees, he will be able to take action.
Though TNIE tried to contact the Director of Collegiate Education, he was unavailable for a comment.