Maharashtra to issue ordinance to regulate private school fees

The Maharashtra government is planning to come out with an ordinance to regulate fees charged by private schools, Minister for School Education Rajendra Darda on Thursday said.

The Maharashtra government is planning to come out with an ordinance to regulate fees charged by private schools, Minister for School Education Rajendra Darda on Thursday said.

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Before the policy for private schools is announced during the budget session of the state legislature in Mumbai next year, the ordinance will be issued, he said in the state Assembly.

He was responding to concerns voiced by members who raised the issue in the House.

Members pointed out that it would be too late to enact a law in the budget session, as by then the admission process in private schools would be almost over, and wanted the government to come out with an ordinance as the current session was going to end next week.

Conceding to the demand of the members, Darda said the government would bring an ordinance in this regard in 15 days.

He said the state wanted to wait for some time as the central government is also coming out with a policy on the same issue.

Earlier, members cutting across party lines expressed concerns over the sharp hike in fees effected by the private schools and demanded a regulatory authority to control them.

Replying to Eknath Khadse (BJP) and others, Darda admitted that schools were charging exorbitant fees and harassing the parents.

Khadse listed names of various schools from different parts of the state which had increased fees without taking the parents into confidence adding they would harass parents and even threaten students to make them pay the hiked fees.

Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena) and others demanding state's intervention pointed out an incident when a school virtually locked a group of students in washroom unless the parents paid the increased fees.

Students were rescued only after the police were called in, they informed.