CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fees) Amendment Bill - which will provide formal representation for parents and extending the time granted to private schools to object to fee fixation orders – was passed by the Assembly on Saturday
The state had enacted the Act (2009) to regulate fees charged by private schools through a Fee Determination Committee and ensure that the amount collected is reasonable and transparent.
A key feature of the amendment is the inclusion of a parent representative from the Tamil Nadu State Parents-Teachers Association in the Fee Determination Committee, ensuring parents have a formal voice in the fee-fixing process. The bill also replaces the director of matriculation schools with the director of private schools as a member of the committee.
Further, a government officer not below the rank of deputy secretary will be appointed as a member, a move aimed at ensuring administrative continuity and greater flexibility in the committee’s functioning.
The amendment also extends the time limit for private schools to file objections to the committee’s fee orders from the existing 15 days to 30 days from the date of receipt of the decision.
In addition, private schools will now be required to apply for fee revision once every three years, before the expiry of the validity period of the fee fixed by the committee. This provision is intended to ensure periodic review of fees and prevent arbitrary or excessive fee collection.