Maharashtra: Parents on dharna against fee hike, CM seeks school list

NEW DELHI: The fight between parents and school administration in Maharashtra has now reached Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey. The CM’s office has asked protesting parents for the list of schools that have allegedly hiked tuition fees or barred students from going to classes for not being able to pay.

Parents of school children In Mumbai, Pune , Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra have been sitting on dharna since a Bombay High Court order issued two weeks ago. On November 28, the Nagpur bench of the High Court granted major relief to unaided schools by restraining the state education department from taking any coercive action against unaided schools in relation to recovery of fees.

An association of parents wrote to the state CM demanding action against schools and also requesting an audit of the finances of schools that claim they do not have funds.

Anubha Shrivastava Sahai, President of the India Wide Parents Association (IWPA) said: “education minister's PS has said if HC decision will not come in parents favour they [the state] can go for an ordinance. Regarding harassment of children they have asked to share the list of schools which we have shared.”

‘Harassment of children’

In their letter to the CM, education minister the AIPA has alleged that children are being harassed by private schools due to the fee dispute.

“Many schools have denied access to the online class, not allowing students to appear for the exam, not giving report cards. This is really a serious concern and no child should be targeted over fee dispute,” alleges the letter.

The parents also stated that due to COVID-19 some parents are unable to pay fees and schools are also charging 100 percent fees even when schools are closed and many facilities are not being used.

They also requested that if schools are saying they do not have funds then “please conduct an audit of schools and provide them necessary aid”.

‘Anti-parent’ fee law

Since December 10 parents have been organising dharna outside offices of senior government officials demanding scrapping of allegedly “anti-parent provisions” from fee regulation amendment act, Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) (Amendment) Act, 2018. They are also demanding that the state government directs schools and colleges to “charge only tuition fees, stop harassment of students by schools and colleges, and conduct audits of school and college”.

Sahai alleged that there are many schools which are giving unfair treatment to children. A school in Goregaon East is allegedly sending emails and messages to all parents to pay the full fees. They allegedly also stopped those who have not paid fees from attending the open-house.

Some of the schools have also put on hold results of children who have not paid fees, which some are demanding bus fees as well, while some have barred access to online study resources from their website for students who have not paid full fees.

Fee committees and complaints

Earlier in September, Maharashtra’s deputy director of education formed two committees of officials to look into the complaints of parents from different schools. The committees visited schools for audits, but, according to parents, there was no substantial outcome.

Parents have alleged that in many schools no audit has taken place and yet, they have terminated admissions of students who have been unable to pay fees.

On March 30, the School Education Department issued a circular where it had said that private schools cannot compel parents to pay fees during the lockdown.

On May 8, the state government issued a government resolution (GR) directing that schools should stay all fee hikes for the current academic year and allow parents to pay fees in instalments. Later on June 26, the Bombay high court in response to a petition by several organisations of private school owners stayed the order. The petitioners argued that the government cannot regulate fees of private schools as per the current rules.

Following pressure from parents, the State had approached the Supreme Court, but the Apex Court remanded the matter back to the High Court for disposal.

Parents now demand that these schools be audited saying the High Court did not block audits.

On November 28, the HC bench restrained the state education department from taking any coercive action against unaided schools in relation to recovery of fees while hearing a petition of Unaided Schools Welfare Association. The association had moved the High Court against the May 8 order of the education department terming it completely illegal and unconstitutional.

Also read:

• Delhi govt to upload private schools fee hike info on DoE site soon
  
• Haryana raises MBBS fees to Rs 10 lakh per year; students protest
  

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