Parents to have a say in fee structure

In a bid to stop educational institutions from charging exorbitant fees, the state government on Friday tabled the fee regulation bill in the assembly. The Act will come into force after getting approval from the state legislature next week. The Act will ensure greater role of parents in determining the fee structure in private and unaided schools.

While opposition members are pushing for the Act, a section within the ruling Congress and NCP has raised some apprehensions. However, school education minister Rajendra Darda is committed to streamlining problems related to ad hoc fee hikes through the comprehensive act.

The bill — Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of (collection of) Fee Act, 2011) — aims to prevent commercialisation of education. The bill envisages that a student once admitted to a school having the facility to undertake education up to Class X, shall not be required to pay admission fee again.

The government will be the competent authority to decide the fees in the government and aided schools. In case of private and unaided schools, the management will be bound to submit the proposed fees to the executive committee (comprising members of the teachers and parents associations who would be elected) almost six months ahead of the commencement of the new academic year.

The executive committee will have the authority to decide the amount of fee afresh. If the difference between the fees decided by the management and fees approved by the executive committee is not more than 15%, then the fees communicated will become binding on the management of schools. If the difference is beyond 15%, then the matter can be appealed to the divisional fee regulatory committee within 30 days.

In cases where it is proved that schools have charged excess fees, this committee can ask the management to refund the amount to individual students.