Amended school fee regulation act to avoid exorbitant hikes

The amended law would have a robust system to assess the validity of a fee hike by private schools

- Surendra P Gangan

MUMBAI: With complaints pouring in about the exorbitant fee hikes by private schools, the state government has decided to amend the Maharashtra Education Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011. It is expected to do away with the provision that necessitates complaints by a minimum of 25% of parents for action to be taken, and will also introduce an area-wise fee structure based on the operating cost of the schools. The amendments are expected to be on the lines of a fee regulation act existing in Gujarat.

Maharashtra's existing fee regulation act has a provision for a fee hike of up to 15% every two years which is in accordance with the infrastructure upgrade by school managements. Individual complaints about fee hikes have been reaching the government but they do not make it to the divisional fee regulatory committee of retired district-level judges.

"Since bringing 25% of parents together to sign a petition is a difficult task, the complaints do not reach the committees," said an official from the school education department. "Besides, parents are wary of raising a voice against school managements fearing negative repercussions on the prospects of their children." The government is now considering enabling individual parents to register complaints against fee hikes.