There may be respite from exorbitant fees in private schools yet.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday empowered the Delhi government to stop schools from charging excessive fees.
Though the order is enforceable in Delhi schools, in principle, it will apply in Maharashtra too.
The state is awaiting a copy of the order after which it will explore options to implement it in over 2,500 unaided schools in the state.
‘‘So far, as per the judgement in the TMA Pai case (see box), we had no powers to regulate fees until a complaint was made. Now, we have to formulate rules according to the judgement,’’ says Amrish Patel, minister for school education.
The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice V N Khare also ruled that schools would have to admit poor children as well to comply with one of the conditions on which they had been allotted land at concessional rates.
Patel agrees that about 90 per cent of schools built in the last 10-15 years have managed to get a good land deal. But, ‘‘we can’t object to some amount of profits that they make,’’ he says.
‘‘We will have to study the SC guidelines carefully to find out criteria to identify poor students,” Patel adds.
Parents, meanwhile, have reason to rejoice. ‘‘It’s a timely decision since parents worry about hikes each academic year,” says Afreen Arif Khan, mother of a 10-year-old studying at Hindi Vidyamandir, Charni Road.
Since November 2003, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) United Forum has received as many as 10 complaints of fee hikes.
‘‘Almost 60 per cent of the 1,000 unaided schools in the city charge arbitrarily high fees and even increase fees without intimating parents,’’ says Arundhati Chavan, spokesperson of the forum.
When Kangaroo Kids Activity School, a branch of G D Somani Memorial school, Cuffe Parade raised fees from an annual Rs 16,000 to Rs 32,000 this March, parents voiced their anger.
‘‘How can they fleece parents like this? Authorities need to take action against corrupt schools,’’ says Mona Laxpati, mother of Pranav (5), a G D Somani student.
School principals, who justify hikes with better infrastructure and advanced curricula, are wary.
With the new guidelines, some say they may have to compromise on facilities, ‘‘as long as it doesn’t affect the quality of teaching,’’ says Avnita Bir, principal (secondary), Ramniranjan Podar school, Santacruz.
The order
SC order empowers government to check private schools in Delhi from charging excessive fees.
Directs schools to file accounts to director, education.
The order flies in the face of a 2002 verdict which recommended ‘‘maximum autonomy’’ to private schools in all aspects, including fees
The 2002 judgment in the TMA Pai case said that reducing schools’ income would ‘‘disable them from affording the best facilities”
On the fee trail
Rs 10,000 pm Dhirubhai Ambani International School
Rs 1,300 pm Ramniranjan Podar School, Santacruz
Rs 1,000 pm Bombay Scottish
Rs 14,250 G D Somani Memorial school, Cuffe Parade, per quarter