Bill to regulate school fees to be placed before cabinet soon

BHOPAL: School education department will send a draft bill to regulate fee structure in aided and unaided schools including CBSE schools across the state for approval before the state cabinet. Once approved, the bill would be placed in the assembly. Department has completed work on the draft bill, said sources. This bill will put a check on arbitrary fee hike by private schools, especially those affiliated to CBSE.
School education minister Vijay Shah told TOI that government had been working out modalities for the past three months and monitoring private school's fee structure.
"There was no control over private CBSE schools when it comes to fee hike. Giving them a free hand to decide fee not only bothers parents but also violates certain norms of CBSE board," Shah said. "Even if CBSE schools voice against the bill, it will not deter us from regulating the school fees," said Shah, adding, parents' woes of parents will come to an end.
Taking cue from states like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh too moved to enact an Act that would regulate fees in private schools in the state back in 2011. However, despite its claims the government failed to bring in a bill to be legislated by the state assembly. Parents' association in the state too moved the MP high court protesting against arbitrary fee hike by private schools and the high court had directed the state for regulating the fee structure. Meanwhile, a group of school owners association has warned strong agitation on proposed bill. "We won't let this happen," Ajeet Singh, president of Private Schools Association, Madhya Pradesh told TOI.
"Government cannot do this. We carry out fee hike based on our income and expenditure statements and most of the schools are doing their job properly. If the government forces us to accept the new policy, we will go for mass agitation. If the government has to decide on everything then what is the need for us to operate the schools?, he asked.
The bill is most likely to have a clause for punishment including imprisonment and fine for not following rules.