Parents' bodies seek school fee regulation Act on lines of GSFRA

Hyderabad: The apex court judgment on Gujarat Fee Regulation Act (GSFRA) came a shot in the arm of the parents' associations in the TS and AP.

According to the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA), the GFRA was challenged by the schools in the Gujarat High Court. But the Gujarat High Court had upheld the validity of the GFRA. Following this, an appeal was filed before the Supreme Court challenging the verdict. However, the apex court too had upheld the Gujarat High Court judgment.

Ashish from the HSPA said, "We had submitted the copies of the GFRA to the Prof Tirupathi Rao Committee appointed by the Telangana State government to look into the school fee regulation. The Gujarat Act had provided for taking care of the interests of both the schools and the parents," he added.

Implementation of the GFRA had led to reduction in the fee in several schools by 50 per cent. Despite the schools employing the most expensive and biggest lawyers in the country to argue their case, the apex court has delivered justice ruling in favour of parents, he pointed out.

It may be mentioned here that the HSPA had been fighting for school fee regulation for the last one decade and its pleas were pending before the State High Court.

Following the SC ruling upholding the GFRA, the HSPA hoped that time had come for the State government to come up with a TFRA on the lines of GFRA to deliver on the long pending demand of the parents.

Similarly, the AP had also promised to enact an FRA for the State. However, to date, the State Education Department had conducted several rounds of consultations with the representatives of the school managements, parents and other stakeholders.

Though there is no FRA is enacted, the department has directed the schools in that State to comply with its directions on the school fee notified after due consultations with the school managements and parents.