Hard times ahead for parents as govt allows fee hike

Parents and students of private unaided schools in Maharashtra should prepare to shell out more fees as the state government on Tuesday withdrew its March 4 order restraining schools from hiking fees.

In an undertaking submitted to the Bombay high court, Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary, state school education and sports department, agreed to withdraw the government resolution (GR). Kumar also gave an undertaking that the government will take a final decision on the Bansal committee report on or before July 15.

The court has also directed the government to consider the provisions of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2010, which provides for free education to children between age group of 6 and 14 years.

The undertaking was submitted to the court after a three-hour-long session of arguments, during which the government faced the ire of the court for not taking a decision on the Bansal committee report. “You are playing with the fate of lakhs of students. They don’t know about their future, even parents don’t know how much fees they will have to pay,” remarked acting chief justice JN Patel.

A division bench of justices Patel and SC Dharmadhikari had summoned Kumar to court. “Either you take a decision or we will pass the order. It appears you do not want to stand by the students. We want to know the government’s stand,” Patel said.

Representing the petitioners, senior counsel Aspi Chenoy argued that the March 4 GR is in violation of a December 10, 2009, order of the high court asking the government to decide on the Bansal committee report within four weeks. 

“Without taking any decision on the report, or hearing the private unaided schools, the government issued the GR in March restraining us from hiking fees,” Chinoy told the court.

Senior counsel Anil Anturkar, on behalf of the intervening parents, who oppose the fee hike, argued: “All children between the age group 6 and 14 years are entitled to free education under the Right to Education.”

The case will now come up for hearing on July 20.