The bill includes points like — excluding one of the parents from the PTA committee if both are from the same grade, a single parent cannot raise a complaint with authorities against fee hike.
Parents' organisations in the city are unhappy with the state government over the amendment of Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act 2011 this year. They say that the amendment is in favour of educational institutions instead of parents' body.
The bill includes points like — excluding one of the parents from the PTA committee if both are from the same grade, a single parent cannot raise a complaint with authorities against fee hike. Many such clauses in the bill have become the bone of contention between the parents' body and the state.
The parents' body has demanded changes like the definition of a group of parents to be changed to individual parent or two or more parents. They have also demanded that the admission fee of the pre-primary section also be included in the Act. Excluding pre-primary admission fees will encourage schools to charge whatever they want, claims the parents' association. Another demand is for the removal late fee clause or that it not be more than 50 paise per day. The body has said that schools should not be allowed to collect previous year's fee plus 15 per cent during the pendency.
Anubha Sahai, President, India-wide Parents Association, said, "This is an unconstitutional move by the government favouring the school management. Government is supporting them to loot and exploit parents. It has failed to curb the commercialisation of education and is instead supporting it by passing a parent fee regulation amendment bill today."
Echoing the sentiments of Sahai, another parent, Prasad Tulaskar, who had fought with a school over fee hike in the past, said, "By allowing schools to charge late fees with interest is not right decision that government has amended in the fee regulation bill. Also, every parent should be allowed to complain against schools if they find fee hike is not appropriately done. Last suggestion is that like in higher education even in school education the fee should be decided by Divisional Fee Regulation Committee."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Fee Hike")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}