Hyderabad: Parents body demands 50% cut in tuition fees

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Schools Parents' Association (HSPA) has urged the State government to modify the GO 46 issued on April 21, 2020, and reduce the tuition fee by 50 per cent. In a representation to State Education Minister Sabita Indra Reddy on Thursday, the HSPA said a reduction in the tuition fee would give some relief to parents in the pandemic situation.

The move would benefit around 34 lakh parents in the State, who are aggrieved by the violation of the said GO by the private schools. The GO directs private unaided schools not to increase any kind of fees for the academic year 2020. Also, they should collect only tuition fee on monthly basis.

However, the private unaided schools are clubbing fees under different heads such as transportation charges, computer charges, food charges, sports fee, infrastructure charges, admission charges under the head of the tuition fee. As a result, the tuition fee has gone up for the academic year 2020-21 as compared to the previous year.

HSPA said that following the complaints by parents, the education department set up an inquiry committee on October 10 last year. The officials submitted reports on 11 schools violating the provisions of GO. But no action has yet been initiated.

The parents association also reminded the Minister that the government had constituted the Tirupathi Rao Committee on March 21, 2017 to come up with a policy on fixing of fees by the private schools. The report, however, is yet to be submitted.

Against this backdrop, the State government's directive on April 14, 2020 to collect only tuition fee on monthly basis has not brought any respite to the parents. The HSPA representatives have also pointed out that the school education department authorities have not taken action against the erring schools despite find them floating the government directives.

Considering the problems faced by the parents, the HSPA urged the minister to reduce tuition fee by 50 per cent and sought for Prof Tirupathi Rao Committee report.