Hyderabad Parents Association (HPA) has requested the education department to create a bill for controlling fees in private schools. They believe that a fee regulatory committee will not be formed in time for the next academic year due to the upcoming assembly election and the dissolution of the ruling government. The ruling party had mentioned the formation of a fee regulatory committee in their manifesto during the last election, but it has not been established yet.
K Venkat Sainath, joint secretary of HSPA, expressed disappointment over the lack of progress. He suggested that an ordinance or draft bill should be introduced to control fee increases in private schools, as parents are being exploited in the name of fees. The non-passage of the bill in the recent assembly session indicates that the State government is supporting private schools. The education department’s non-committal stance on addressing grievances has also left HSPA disappointed.
HSPA believes that the fee regulation Act is the only solution to this issue. They have filed a contempt case against the government for not implementing a fee regulation mechanism despite judicial orders. The education department claims that a draft bill is ready, but the State government has not taken action. HSPA members emphasize that the draft bill is their last hope to prevent the hardships faced by parents in the next academic year.
Recently, Telangana Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy mentioned that they had planned to address this matter in the assembly but were unable to do so. During contempt proceedings in the High Court, the State government only proposed that schools display fee details on their websites, failing to provide decisions made by a group of ministers in March 2022 regarding fee regulation in private unaided schools.
In summary, HPA is urging the education department to draft a bill for controlling fees in private schools, as they do not believe a fee regulatory committee will be established soon. They are disappointed with the lack of progress and support from the State government. HSPA members emphasize that a draft bill is their last hope to address the hardships faced by parents.
