Mumbai: The ordinance will adopt the ‘slab’ system of the Gujarat law for regulating fee hike in schools, in which fees are fixed as per classes — Rs 25,000 annually for eight to tenth standard and Rs 20,000 for class fifth to seventh standard students. Activists and parents, however, feel that this model will not get implemented in the state due to various factors including the absence of the political will to rein in the powerful private education lobby and the legal immunity enjoyed by a section of the schools due to their affiliation to non-state boards.
According to the president of Forum for Fairness in Education Jayant Jain, the lack of political will to implement the Fee Regulation Act and Prohibition of Capitation Fee Act has resulted in private institutions getting away with profiteering and exploitation of parents.
“The Gujarat model will be relevant only if the schools are willing to revamp their fee structures. However, it is seen that the two acts that have been around for a long time have not seen a single case being registered against any school, which means that the schools will not agree to adopt the slab system,” said Jain.
Advocate Avisha Kulkarni, an activist and parent, said that private schools and those affiliated to non-state boards pay scant heed to the government or education department officials. “In such a scenario the amendments to the Fee Regulation Act would just be another way adopted by the government to lull the parents into believing that something is being done to curb exploitation by the schools,” said Kulkarni.
Another parent alleged that non-state board schools claimed that they did not come under the purview of the state government and only required the government’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) to remain functional. “If the amendment brings such schools under its ambit then it would be a major relief. However, the question of implementation remains unanswered, and the government should address that question too,” said Anwar Bhojani, a parent from Mazgaon.
