Parents of children studying in private schools in the city wouldn’t deny the growing concern over high fees, which are often decided in an opaque manner. But through a model code of conduct, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has now put non-grant private schools under the scanner.
Announcing a set of norms recently, GSHSEB mentioned that non-grant private schools in the state will have to give a receipt for the fee charged from a student every year. Though it has retained private schools’ right to increase fees on its own, the board has stated that schools could increase fees only by justifying the additional expenses it had made to improve infrastructure, towards hike in salary of teachers and staff, or such other activities.
Apart from the model code, authorities have issued strict instructions to officials to pay surprise visits to schools, and report any irregularity to the board within a fortnight. This also includes any complaint from parents of students.
GSHSEB chairman RR Varsani said that as per the new norms, the schools would have to audit their financial reports every year and put it on the school’s website, to ensure transparency. “Schools will not be able to increase fees as per their will but they will have to announce it in writing at least six months before the beginning of the new academic year about the new set of fee structure, to give parents an option to change the school if they wanted,” Varsani said, adding that it was mandatory for non-grant private schools to specify the fee structure on a notice board to make the system transparent.
According to the chairman, the board has also made it mandatory for schools to spend 80% of the income - from fees - in salary, development of infrastructure, etc. Referring to a mechanism to ensure that schools do not disobey the norms, Varsani said, “The audited report might be scanned by our CAs if we have doubts about any specific school.”
The board has also initiated a process to get figures of availability of teachers in schools across the state, the chairman stated. The report sought by the board and prepared by district education officers would cover specifics, such as shortage of staff, lack of facilities like laboratories and maintenance of registers, in each school of the district.
Schools must audit financials: GSHSEB
GSHSEB chairman RR Varsani said that as per the new norms, the schools would have to audit their financial reports every year and put it on the school’s website, to ensure transparency.
“Schools will not be able to increase fees as per their will but they will have to announce it in writing at least six months before the beginning of the new academic year about the new set of fee structure, to give parents an option to change the school if they wanted,” Varsani said.
It was mandatory for non-grant private schools to specify the fee structure on a notice board to make the system transparent, he added.
