Hyderabad: As parents across the country continue to reel under arbitrary fee structures in schools, a social and anti-corruption activist in Hyderabad has started a one of its kind campaign to register FIR against schools which are cheating parents and not adhering to Government orders.
Activist Vijay Gopal has planned to register mass complaints against top schools in various police stations in Hyderabad. Most of the private schools in Hyderabad charge a minimum of Rs 40,000 as the annual fee and maximum up to Rs 5 lakh, coupled with unjustified annual fee hikes and donations of various kinds.
Speaking to CNN News 18, Vijay Gopal said, “If the school management wishes to charge more fee than mentioned in government orders, they need approval. But every school violates norms and charges exorbitant fee. Due to illegal acts of the school managements, a lot of parents have been cheated and continue to be victims of the school.”
In the complaint against CGR International School under Madhapur police limits, police have already acted and registered a case against the school management and Annamacharya Educational Trust under section 420 (cheating), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by Public servant) and 418 (cheating with knowledge of wrongful loss to person whose interest the offender is bound to protect). In other complaints, the respective police stations are seeking legal opinion before registering cases.
According to Andhra Pradesh Educational Institutions (regulation of admission and prohibition of capitation fees) Act 1983, all schools, irrespective of the syllabus, are prohibited from asking parents to pay donations or any other one-time fee apart from the tuition fee during admission.
The Government Order MS 91 directs various private unaided schools that application fee cannot exceed Rs 100, registration fee cannot exceed Rs 500, and schools to notify a minimum of 3 shops from where books and uniform can be purchased by parents, etc.
The government order 42, 2010 also mentions the maximum fee the schools can charge. For primary and upper primary schools, the annual fee per student cannot exceed Rs 9000 per year and for high school, annual fee per student cannot exceed Rs 12,000.
“Almost all schools in Hyderabad are violating rules and the government has become a mute spectator. Many parents don’t even know schools are committing crime and they can approach the police. I appeal parents to come forward and register FIRs against schools to bring them in line,” Gopal said.
The Hyderabad school parents association has been demanding the formation of District Fee Regulatory Committee for a long time now.
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