Hyderabad: Parents of students staged a protest outside a school in Shaikpet, Hyderabad, raising concerns over repeated fee increases.
According to the parents, the school had earlier assured that fees would be increased by only 10 percent once in three years. However, they alleged that the school is raising fees every year.
Penalty for delayed fee payments
Parents also claimed that fees meant to be paid in July are being collected as early as March. They further objected to the imposition of a daily penalty for delayed fee payments.
The protesting parents demanded that the government step in and regulate the fee structure of private schools in Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana.
They also appealed to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take immediate action on the issue.
Teachers not paid equally
The managements of most of the schools in Hyderabad usually claim that the hike is due to a rise in salaries of teachers and other expenses related to infrastructure; however, the fact is the opposite.
When contacted, teachers said that their salaries are not at all in proportion to the fees demanded from the students. Apart from that, the teachers disclosed that every year, their salary hikes are meagre.
Regulation recommended for fees in schools in Hyderabad, other districts
The Telangana Education Commission (TEC) has proposed a draft law aimed at bringing school fees under a clear and regulated system.
The proposal suggests grouping schools based on factors like infrastructure and location, setting a maximum fee limit for each group, and permitting increases only within a fixed range linked to the Consumer Price Index. However, the proposal is yet to be approved by the Cabinet.
Members of the commission have stressed that the government should act quickly and implement the law. They also said that any fee increase must be justified to parents and cannot be done without proper reasons.
