High fees in international schools: PIL

The state education department has initiated an inquiry into the allegations of gross financial violations made agai-nst 19 private unaided international schools in the city to check whether they are charging exorbitant fees from their students and also if they have formed a Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) in the school.

The court was on Friday told by the under secretary Surya-kant Kharat that the education department has directed the deputy director, education, to inquire into the allegations made in a PIL and that he will submit his report by April 30.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Forum for Fairness in Education. The PIL seeks to direct the chief minister to issue instructions to all international schools in the state to refund the capitation fees collected from parents for securing admission for their children in such schools.

The PIL also wants that a committee or an administrator be appointed to check the income and expenditure accounts of all international schools. It wants the HC to direct the state to verify the accounts of all unaided schools having yearly fee of more than Rs6,000 in urban areas and Rs4,000 in rural areas.