NEW DELHI: Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani on Friday said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked affiliated schools to refrain from arbitrary fee hikes and consult parent-teacher associations before initiating such revisions.
The CBSE has sent an advisory to schools, saying they shouldn’t burden the parents by hiking fees and should run schools as a “community service and not as a business enterprise”.
It told schools to not hike fees mid-session, specifying that fee should be in line with the facilities. A bar has also been put on charging capitation fee and a violation of the rule can merit fine and disaffiliation, Irani said.
“We have, through CBSE, written to all schools saying that for hiking of fees in affiliated schools, you have to take into confidence the parent-teacher association. (sic) Till such time they don’t agree to a fee hike and it is not in proportion to facilities that you are giving in schools,” Irani said.
“You are not allowed to hike fees in the middle of the year and you are not allowed to keep away receipts which are rightfully to be given to parents. These are the initiatives and instructions that are going through the government to schools and states so that the interests of the students can be protected,” she said. The advisory has underlined concerns that many CBSE-affiliated schools do not adhere to provisions laid for tuition fees.
{{/usCountry}}“You are not allowed to hike fees in the middle of the year and you are not allowed to keep away receipts which are rightfully to be given to parents. These are the initiatives and instructions that are going through the government to schools and states so that the interests of the students can be protected,” she said. The advisory has underlined concerns that many CBSE-affiliated schools do not adhere to provisions laid for tuition fees.
{{/usCountry}}“Taking a serious note of the complaints being received from parents regarding fee hike, capitation fee, the board has issued an advisory to all affiliated schools for strict adherence of the relevant by-laws of the board,” the advisory says.