Private schools cannot charge exorbitant fee
Bhopal: Private schools will not be able to charge exorbitant fee from students. The parents will be free to purchase educational materials, uniforms etc from the open market. The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan while holding detailed discussions at a high level meeting of Department of Education here today directed to issue guidelines for ascertaining school fee by private schools. The State Government has issued detailed guidelines following instructions of the Chief Minister. The guidelines are being made available to all private schools.
According to the guidelines the private schools cannot change uniform for at least five years. They will have to make available all information on notice boards or on their respective website.
The guidelines will be applicable to private schools having up 12th class and are recognized to M.P. State Board of Secondary Education, Central Board of Secondary Education, ICSC Board and other Boards.
On continuing education in the same school, if students are promoted to the next class they will not be charged re-admission fee. The amount of the admission fee shall not exceed the amount of one year’s tuition fees. If the private schools are taking school development cess, then the amount of such cess shall not exceed the amount of one month’s tuition fee.
No Money in the name of Capitation Fee
The Guidelines say that no money will be demanded in the name of capitation fee, donations or gifts. It will be mandatory for the private schools to get their accounts audited every year and make them public either through their respective website or public notice boards.
Fee must be ascertained in such a way that the amount of annual accounts of a year does not exceed 10 percent of the receipts of the year. It would also be mandatory to inform at least one month in advance about the fees structure and systems of payment.
If it is necessary for a private school to increase fee next year, then limit of increase should not exceed 10 percent. If a private school insists on increasing fee, it will have to explain logics and give justifications in front of divisional level fee fixation committee.
According to the guidelines, formation of Parent Teacher Association within a month of the start of the academic session will be mandatory. Application for admission to schools will be free of charge. If there is any fee for this, it will not exceed Rs 10.
Uploading details about school staff salaries, accounts, fee structure, payment procedures and deadlines, details of instalments, uniforms, books and educational materials, academic calendar, etc. in the school websites will be necessary. The private schools can chose NCERT, MP Textbook Corporation’s text books or those published by private publishers but they will have to inform the students about this at least a month before the academic year starts.
Parents can purchase educational material from open market
Parents are free to purchase educational material, uniform, tie, shoes from the open market. Or increase or fixation of fees, students or their parents could raise objections before a committee headed by respective district collectors. The committee will settle issue x in a month. Second appeal can be made to a committee headed by Divisional Commissioner, who will dispose it in 45 days. Parents or students can approach State level committee in case they are not satisfied with the decision.
