This story is from August 11, 2020

Edu dept: We are helpless, can’t act against pvt schools

Edu dept: We are helpless, can’t act against pvt schools
Nagpur: Even as parents’ protests against private schools charging “exorbitant” fees continued, senior officials from the state education department surprisingly expressed their inability to take action.
Admitting that a majority of these schools were blatantly flouting the guidelines of the central and state governments regarding charging fees during the Covid-19 pandemic, officials TOI spoke to said their hands were tied due to Bombay High Court’s stay on Maharashtra government’s resolution (GR) dated May 8.
The guidelines and GR directed schools not to increase fees and recover only tuition and term charges.
According to officials, guidelines issued by education officer (secondary) Shivling Patwe on June 3 were not challenged in any court and were still in force, but none of the schools were following it. “The CBSE schools don’t listen to anyone. With the HC stay, they got a boost and now, they are pressuring parents to pay fees even for facilities like library, laboratories and sports which wouldn’t be used this year. They’re adopting unethical practices under the pretext of online education. Ideally, they should pass on the benefits to parents as they are saving on electricity, maintenance and other charges,” they said.
On why the education department can’t take action after Patwe’s letter to schools regarding charging fees for unused facilities, officials said since the HC had stayed the GR, they apprehend the judiciary’s wrath or contempt charges. “All of us know that these private schools are only interested in profiteering and hardly have any social interest in the noble profession. Still, parents want their wards to be in those schools and make it their status symbol. If all of them decide to withdraw their children, their management would fall in line,” they said.
According to officials, aggrieved parents have only two solutions to control such “looting” by schools in the Covid-19 crisis. “They should come together on a single platform, hire a good lawyer and file a PIL in HC’s Nagpur bench. Another option is to gather 25% strength and approach the school management for fee reduction. As per the ‘Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011’, that was amended in 2018, if 25% of them agree to reduce fees, schools have to abide by their decision,” they said.

EDU DEPT OFFICIALS’ TAKE
* Pvt schools blatantly flouting guidelines of centre and state
* They were directed not to increase fees & recover only tuition & term charges
* Can’t act due to HC stay on state government resolution (GR) dated May 8
* Education officer (secondary) Shivling Patwe’s guidelines of June 3 still active
* Schools adopting unethical practices under pretext of online education
* They should pass on benefits to parents as they’re saving on power & maintenance
* Parents from all schools should file PIL in HC with lawyer’s help
* They can gather 25% strength & approach school management for fee reduction
End of Article
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