Hyderabad: Schools in Hyderabad may soon be barred from making exorbitant fee hikes, as the School Education Department has proposed a cap of up to an eight percent hike every two years.
It aims to regulate the enormous fee hikes seen in schools in Telangana, especially those located in the capital city.
Increase beyond limit needs govt nod
According to the proposal, schools in Hyderabad and other districts of the state that wish to increase their fees by more than 8 percent over the two years will be required to obtain permission from the government.
After the request, the State Fee Regulatory Committee will make a decision based on the necessary documents, including revenue and expenditure.
The proposal, if implemented, will regulate all private and corporate schools in the state. The proposal is expected to be taken up in the next State cabinet meeting.
Earlier, the Telangana Education Commission in its report to the government recommended a 10-15 per cent hike once every three years. The proposal was similar to what is followed in the case of private professional colleges in the state.
Last year, the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA) appealed to the state government to allow private schools to increase tuition fees by up to 10 percent annually.
Schools in Hyderabad implement steep hike in fees
The step by the government comes in the wake of several schools implementing a steep hike in fees every academic year.
In the past, some of them increased the fees by as much as 65 percent.
According to a media report, a renowned school in Bachupally raised the fee for the academic year to Rs 3.7 lakh.
Currently, the schools in Hyderabad are increasing fees by 10-12 percent. Some are going beyond it, even when their previous academic year’s fee itself is exorbitant.
It remains to be seen whether the proposal will be implemented in the upcoming academic year.
