Over 300 parents from the city will march to Azad Maidan on May 21 protesting against the government’s inaction when it comes to addressing their complaints over fee hikes. The protest, organised by Forum for Fairness in Education (FFE), a city-based NGO, is in the backdrop of several pending complaints that parents have made against private schools.
“Several complaints of parents regarding schools hiking fees, not in keeping with the government’s fee regulation Act, have led to no action being taken against the schools. The parents have decided to keep the fight alive until the government takes action against these schools,” said Jayant Jain, President, FFE.
One of the major demands of parents is to allow the District Fee Regulation Committee (DFRC) to stay fees in cases where a final verdict is not yet out. “In several cases, complaints to the DFRC take months and years to be resolved. At such times, parents have no option but to pay fees as prescribed by the schools. This puts a huge burden on them even as there is no verdict about whether or not the fee is justified,” Jain said.
The government recently appointed an 11-member committee to review the existing fee regulation Act in the state. Parents, however, said that all these changes make no sense if there is no speedy redressal complaints. “Officials are not willing to take action against schools even as thousands of parents continue to suffer. Merely making legislation won’t help. There should be proper implementation of the existing rules,” said a parent from Kandivali.
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE FEE ACT
The state’s Educational Institutions (Regulation of Collection of School Fee) Act mandates schools to not increase fees beyond 15 per cent every two years. Following several requests from parents, NGOs and educationists, the government has now decided to review the Act through the 11-member 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}
){kind=small}
 "School fee hike issue")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}