Complain all you want: Arrogant private schools dictate rules

Wanaparthy: “Either study or cancel the admission. You can complain to anyone, but none can act against us. These are our rules. Our school has special regulations,” is the standard, obvious arrogant response of many private school managements when asked about allegations of extra charges per class.

In the district headquarters and surrounding mandals like Pebbair, Kothakota, Atmakur, and Gopalpet, education has been turned into a business. Parents are being exploited and students are being pressured under the guise of ‘ranks.’

Educational institutions are charging per class, treating education as a market commodity. Despite these issues, officials are not paying attention. To educate one child from LKG to 10th grade, parents are burdened with donations, school fee, book costs, notebooks, project expenses, bus fee, and more. Experts note that this is a significant financial strain. With most admissions already completed, it reflects the profit-driven nature of these institutions.

Officials state that there are 172 recognised private schools in the district, with approximately 44,169 students (25,514 boys and 18,655 girls). In many of these schools, educational business has gone unchecked. Under names like IIT Foundation, NEET Foundation, CBSE, and ICSE, schools are charging exorbitant fee. Yet, there is neither supervision nor regulation in sight.

Managements claim to offer quality education and facilities, justifying their excessive fee. However, officials say fee regulation is beyond their control, irresponsibly passing the buck to the schools’ management bodies.

Every private institution is supposed to audit their annual income and expenses and submit a report to the government — but not a single school does this. According to norms, schools should deduct staff salaries, furniture, and development expenses from their income and treat the rest as profit. But these rules are never implemented. Institutions show inflated costs in the name of infrastructure.

Each school is required to form a governing body consisting of management representatives, teachers and parents. Fee should be determined based on the local economic situation, and annual financial and academic reports should be submitted to the authorities for approval. Yet, experts say no school has submitted an academic report since their inception.

Authorities act blind to these violations. As per rules, every school must have a playground of at least 700 sq m and must follow fire safety measures.

Every recognised corporate school must also allocate seats and offer free education to poor SC and ST students. However, not a single school complies with these regulations. Schools are being run in cramped buildings without proper vehicle access.

“If schools operate without permission, we will take legal action. There are 172 recognised private schools in the district. If any private school fails to follow government regulations, we will take strict measures,” said DEO Mohammad Abdul Gani, when questioned.