BHUBANESWAR: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked Odisha government to take necessary steps to regulate fee structure of private schools in the state.
The Commission, in a letter to the School and Mass Education department last week, stated that with a number complaints being received in this regard, the matter needs to be addressed at the earliest. "Since regulating school fee is a State-specific subject, you are requested to examine the matter and take necessary action as per State Act and regulatory norms to dispose of the matter at your end," the Commission wrote.
The direction from the Commission came after Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha requested it to intervene into the matter.Members of the Mahasangha pointed out that though the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) of School and Mass Education department had recommended a revised fee structure for private schools of the State in March 2018, it is yet to be implemented.
They also alleged that many private schools in the State hiked their fee by 25 per cent to 250 per cent and forcefully collected it from parents.
The FRC has proposed Rs 15,000 annual fee for UKG admission, Rs 17,000 for admission into Classes I to V, Rs 20,000 for Classes VI to VIII, Rs 22,000 for Classes IX and X and Rs 25,000 for Classes XI and XII.
Though the revised structure received the nod from SME Department, it is pending with the State Government as many schools have opposed it stating that the revised structure is too low. The School and Mass Education department officials had earlier stated that the department has planned to implement the revised fee structure for the private schools from 2020-21 academic session.