Expert panel to explore regulation of private schools, limit fees: Maharashtra govt

NAGPUR: In view of increasing complaints from parents about self-financed or unaided schools charging exorbitant fees, the Maharashtra government has decided to appoint an expert committee to frame guidelines on whether they could be brought under its control, and limits placed on their fees.
Replying to a query during question hour in the assembly on Thursday, school education minister Deepak Kesarkar clarified that fees of such unaided schools usually depends on the educational and other facilities offered by them.
“In the absence of any legal provision, the state government cannot decide on fees to be charged by the self-financed or unaided schools. The charges are determined as per the facilities offered and hiked in consultation with the parents-teachers association (PTA) there. If the school has recruited all teachers from abroad, obviously it would charge higher fees accordingly. The government only grants them permission to run the school,” Kesarkar said.
He said parents had a choice to admit their wards in schools of their choice and affordability. “The government received many complaints from parents regarding the fees. During Covid-19 pandemic we had relaxed conditions for having a school leaving certificate mandatory for seeking admissions in any school.”
To discuss all these issues, he said the government would be convening a meeting of the expert panel after the end of the assembly session. “Since this is a serious issue having its applicability statewide, we will be inviting all interested legislators to attend the meeting. Even GOs and parents’ organizations would be a part of it.”
The question was raised by opposition leader Ajit Pawar, Sadhan Awtade, Rajesh Tope, Rahul Kul, Vijay Wadettiwar and Rohit Pawar, who pointed out an incident at Lexicon International School, Pune, where students were not allowed to go back home if their parents had defaulted on the fees.
Agreeing with the legislators, the minister assured the lower house that steps would be taken to avoid such incidents. “The management had discussed the issue with the parents. A complaint was filed at Lonikand police station against the school. However, not a single parent turned up later after police called them and therefore, the matter was closed.”
On Tope’s query regarding the government’s failure to reimburse fees of schools who had admitted poor students under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, Kesarkar said they had paid Rs875 crore of which Rs425 crore were refunded by the Centre. “We will take up the issue with the central minister for releasing the arrears as soon as possible. Many states have amended their laws to avoid such a situation, where they first admit students under RTE in the government and aided schools. Later, if their number exceeds, then they are accommodated in private schools,” he said.