Don’t commercialise edu, strike balance while hiking fees: HC

Panaji: The high court of Bombay at Goa has directed the state government to issue orders within three weeks so that a permanent grievance redressal mechanism can be set up to address any complaint regarding increase in fees by private recognised unaided schools affiliated with the Goa education board.
The court stated that it was imperative and vital to have an appropriate mechanism in the interest of the students, against any arbitrary hike in fees by the private managements.
“...if at all there is any increase in fees by any such schools, such increase was required to be within the permissible parameters and ought not to become prohibitive and beyond the reasonable paying capacity and means of the parents in sending their children to such schools,” the high court stated.
A petition was filed by the All Goa Unaided Schools Parents Association (AGUSPA) in 2009 over the increase in tuition fees by unaided recognised private schools affiliated to the Goa education board, seeking regulations so that students don’t have to pay exorbitant fees.
Stating that any increase in fees must be such that it does not unjustly enrich the institution at the students’ expense and/or result into any undue exploitation of students, the high court directed the director of education to look into any complaints that persist after the grievance redressal committee passes orders or any representations received from any parent or any other interested person.
“...The increase in fees, if any, needs to be fair, which ought not to result in profiteering by the school so as to be within the permissible parameters of a reasonable surplus to be generated and not amounting to commercialisation of education.”
“Such representation/complaint as may be received by the director of education shall be decided within a period of one month of its receipt, after an opportunity of a hearing is granted to the affected parties. The director of education shall also fix the responsibility and accountability of compliance of the fee structure as per timelines recommended by the committee,” stated Justices G S Kulkarni and Bharat Deshpande.
In 2019, a 10-member committee was constituted to examine parents’ grievances in the matter of hike in fees and it submitted a report with recommendations.
Additional government advocate Deep Shirodkar told the court that the state government accepted the committee's recommendations on May 27, 2020.