Schools in Telangana use cops to silence parents voice against fee hike

Hyderabad: Several unaided schools affiliated to CBSE have brought in a new precedent to policing schools and to silence parents agitating on the issue of increase in the schools' fees.

According to sources, the indecisiveness of the State Education Department (SED) in putting in place a comprehensive policy to address reopening of schools, the conduct of online classes etc has turned into an advantage for the private unaided schools.

Speaking to The Hans India, a top official from the SED on condition of anonymity explained that there are two specific provisions mandated by the CBSE, as part of the affiliation by-laws for an increase in the fees.

Firstly, the CBSE-affiliated schools should charge fees normally under "the heads prescribed by the Department of the State/UTs for the school of different categories."

There is no policy and there exist no specific head for fee collection related to the conduct of online classes by the State government. Adding to this, the schools have taken into consideration the alternative academic calendar announced by the Union HRD Ministry and started reopening the schools, offering online classes, to collect fees from the parents.

Further, the State government had directed all schools in the State not to increase the fee and only collect the tuition fee on a monthly basis. Apart from this direction, the officials pointed out that some DEO's have started acting on the complaints of the parents against the school.

The CBSE rule number 11.3 specifies that the "unaided schools should consult parents through parent's representatives before revising the fees. The fee should not be revised during the mid-session."

However, several schools have increased the fees in violation of this affiliation provision of the CBSE.

However, "When parents opposed the schools have been forcing them either to pay the fee or their children will not be allowed to attend the online classes."

Following these developments and when the representations submitted to the school managements failed to bring any relief, "Parents started making beelines before different schools demanding a rollback on the increased fees. However, the school managements were quick in calling in police to silence the voices of the agitating parents worried about the fate of their wards education. For example, a renowned private unaided school informed the police about a possible protest by the parents before school. Making the Bownpalli police to warn some parents of the legal consequences that they would be constrained to take action against the backdrop of prohibitory rules in place due to Covid pandemic.

Several schools violated affiliation norms and the State government directions not to increase the fees continue to have their way. Leaving the parents and police to shout and argue with each other and such scenes are becoming the norm of the day in front of several schools.