Parents sign petition to regulate fee structure across private schools

After a series of nationwide protests against private schools hiking their fees, parents from across the country are now urging the government to come up with laws to regulate fees in such schools. A recent petition started by a Mumbai-based parent has asked the government to stop the commercialisation of education and regulate a uniform fee structure across private schools in India.

Parent and lawyer, Anubha Sahai, who started the online petition, urged the government to have a central law to regulate fee hike across private schools in the country. The petition started on September 24, and has already received over 800 signatures, and aims to get a total of 1 lakh supporters in the days to come.

"Private schools are hiking their fees and no account of it is given. Where is the money going? As a parent, the major concern behind starting this petition is putting an end to the abrupt and unregulated fee hikes imposed by schools across the country. The government should take strict action against schools that indulge in profiteering and commercialisation in the name of education," said Anubha Sahai.

According to the petition, the Minister of HRD ( Human Resources and Development) can intervene by either making an amendment in RTE Act and include provision for regulation of fees or by making a separate legislation with stringent provisions for fee regulation. " Government intervention is the need of the hour to ensure that education does not become a tool to syphon-off money," added Sahai.

The petition will be delivered to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar , Arvind Kejriwal (Aam Aadmi Party) , Anil Swaroop, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy and Manish Sisodia, Delhi Education Minister.