Yatendra Kasana, president of ANSPA told City Spidey that despite the start of the new session, Apeejay School, DPS, and several other schools have still not implemented the regulations.
The All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA) on Friday wrote a letter to the additional chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Sanjay Aggarwal, over the delay in implementation of Fee Regulatory Bill 2018-19.
In April this year, the Yogi government approved an ordinance to regulate school fees charged by private schools (Fee Regulatory Bill), including minority institutions, affiliated to CBSE, ICSE and the UP Board of Secondary Education.
Yatendra Kasana, president of ANSPA told City Spidey that despite the start of the new session, Apeejay School, DPS, and several other schools have still not implemented the regulations.
K Arunachalam, general secretary of ANSPA said, “We had talks with Sanjay Aggarwal on the matter during his Noida visit. In July, he wrote a letter to the education department of the UP to speed up implementation but still, the scenario has not changed.”
The letter read: “The school management will have to upload the details of the fee structure on their website from the 2015-16 to 2018-19. The parents should be able to get information about the school fee structure online from home. These details are to be uploaded on the website by all schools by July 15. But, schools are not showing any interest in it.”
Kasana also said that the private schools in Noida like Bal Bharti School and Apeejay School started a new tradition to lodge a complaint against the parents over the protest against the fee hike. “A few days back, the management of Apeejay School lodged the complaint against the 10 parents of the school but still FIR has not been lodged by police,” Kasana added.
Arunachalam said, “Bal Bharti School charges Rs 1,000 for making the identity card. Previously, the school charge was Rs 100 only. But, from August 1, they hiked the charge by 10 times through a circular.”
“If a student wants any correction in the identity card like the correction in name and address then they charge Rs 200 for it. Now, the schools have becomes a business instead of a knowledge sharing platform,” he added.
“We are paying hefty amounts to schools. But, few incidents reveal the truth of the security of the students in the school. We have an example of Step By Step school incident where around 190 students and school staffs fell ill after having lunch within the premises of Step by Step school,” said Arunachalam.
“Last month, there was no outcome after the heinous rape of a three-and-half-year-old girl. The government and district officer are silent on this matter. It shows the inability of the government to take action against the private schools,” Arunachalam added.
"If the government will not help the parents in implementing this ordinance then parents association will protest on the road with a large number of parents," ANSPA members said.
Members of ANSPA said that if the ordinance will not be implemented by the schools then they will not take part in the 2019 elections and also oppose the elections.
In April this year, the UP cabinet decided that the process of charging school fees will be transparent and any school will be able to charge fees only through four means. These will include prospectus fees, admission fees, examination fees and joint annual fees.
Private schools’ arbitrariness will be curbed
The optional fee, bus fee, excursion fees and charges for educational camps can only be taken from students if they participate in such activities. Further, schools will have to provide a receipt for all sorts of fees. Even the schools functioning under the CBSE and ICSE board will have to follow these rules.
During a press conference earlier, it was declared that the decisions undertaken by the cabinet regarding school fees will be applicable in the year 2018-19.
School fees can be paid in four instalments within a year
The government had also declared that students need not pay the whole school fees together. The annual fees can be paid on a half-yearly or quarterly basis also. Further, once these rules are implemented, schools will not be able to force parents to buy copies or bags from any one shop. Even the school dress cannot be changed before the completion of five years.
Teachers’ salaries set to increase
The cabinet also decided that the school teachers’ salary should increase in proportion to the school fee hike. Further, it declared that the hike shouldn’t be more than 5-7 per cent in any aspect. Business activities, such as the functioning of guest houses, shops, etc. will also be controlled if they are being run inside schools.
It is also important to provide information regarding the school’s earnings and utilise it for the school’s development to reduce students’ fees and to provide teachers' salaries. The income will have to be shown in the school’s account.
Violation of norms may lead to cancellation of the school’s accreditation
The Deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh had announced in the press conference that the state government will set up fee regulation committees at the commissioner level in all zones across the state.
If any school violates the norms of fee regulations, it will be punished with Rs 1 lakh for the first time and Rs 5 lakh for the second violation. If a school continues to violate the rules, its accreditation will be cancelled.
