Need to Put a Check on Private Schools Charging High Fees

This is the admission time in the country. As a result, the schools – Private and Govt – have become centres of great activity. Especially the Private Schools. Parents reach there to get their children admitted. But when they come to know of the exorbitant fees, they are crestfallen.

They check their pockets and find in them big holes. Now it is  time for them to check the fee structure – Charges for Tuition Fee/ Annual Charges/ Festival Celebrations/ Exam Fee/ Stationary Fee for the whole year/ Dance Classes/ Generator Facility – all burden on these wretched fellows called parents.

There is one joke catching a big attention at social media these days.

A parent asks the reception as to what facilities they provide in the school in lieu of such a big admission fee. She replies smilingly that they provide books/ school uniform/ shoes etc. Then he asks about education. She quickly replies that for education he will have to arrange tuition classes at home.

It shows that these schools have turned into lucrative businesses for the rich. There is everything there except education. Students get singing, dance, acting everything but education. For everything, there are charges. The parents look much pathetic and robbed.

They are helpless before the system because most the these schools are run by the influential people of the society including politicians. When the law makers are involved who will make laws to check this malpractice.

We read in all newspapers about the protests by the parents in almost all parts of the country. We read about the statements by the state governments to put a rein on this system. But after some time, the result is the same. The parents have to succumb before the group of these shrewd businessmen.

Now some of state governments and also the Centre are mulling to make some effective law to prevent the Private Schools from charging such a big exorbitant amounts in the name of admission. Gujarat Govt has already announced to bring a bill for formation of a Fee Regulatory Committee for the purpose.

The centre has also demanded the copy of the bill to have a proper analysis of it. If the centre govt finds this Gujarat Model fit, we may hope a stringent law covering all the private schools /institutions in country soon.

After all, education is the matter of service, not of profit. Schools are the temples of education, not the money minting factories. But here, the govt must also hear the plea of the private schools. The expenditures in the Private schools are very high. For that they depend on the fees.

The expenditures include the salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff , providing quality education using latest technology etc. If the fees are very low, they won’t be able to meet such expenditures.

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