Gujarat: Parents question discrepancies in fee slashes

The Fee Regulatory Committee of Ahmedabad zone has slashed fees of nearly 10 schools by 50 per cent, sparking debate among the parents community, since for some other schools, the reduction is minimal. There have been many schools whose fees after reduction is as much as Rs 85,000.

The process of declaration of fees by the FRC has created uproar among the parents and various associations in the city as they feel the Act is doing the reverse of what it is meant to do.

Dharmesh Patel, member, Vali Swaraj Manch, said, "The number of schools whose fees have been slashed is too less. This Act is just cosmetic. The government is trying to fool parents. For example, if a school was charging Rs 40,000 as fees, and proposed to FRC for Rs 60,000 but FRC approves Rs 50,000, it is still a win for the school. On other hand, the government tom-toms that it has successfully cut Rs 10,000. However, it is because of FRC that the school was able to fix fees at Rs 50,000."

He had another point to make: "When the fees decided by the FRC were declared, there were only two colums: of the fees proposed and the fees approved. Why is there no column mentioning the current fee amount?"

While the list uploaded on the website of the state education department mentioned proposed fees and approved fees, it did not mention current fees.

Schools whose fees have been slashed by half include Mahatma Gandhi International School and Lakshya International school. While MGIS had proposed Rs 99,900 for primary section, the fees approved by FRC is Rs 55,500.

Sources said, "The way FRC has decided on fees is quite unclear. While it has reduced fees of some schools, it has also allowed many schools to charge over Rs 70,000, which is unfair for the students at large."

MISSING COLUMN

While the list of schools (whose fees have been slashed) uploaded on the website of the state education department mentioned proposed fees and approved fees, it did not mention current fees.