Operating in a virtual monopoly, the private schools in Chhattisgarh have started collecting higher fees once again, which is causing hardships to the parents.
As soon as the new academic session started on April 1, the private schools started charging higher fees on students, citing different reasons, although proper guidelines have been prescribed under the Right to Education Act.
The schools can charge students only towards ten different heads such as computer fee, library fee, games fee etc. but there are many schools which do not mention the heads in the receipts.They have been collecting fee on different heads such as school diary, photography and examination fee and receipts are not issued, it has been alleged.
The State Government has been talking about the monopoly of private schools for the last two years but is yet to put in place a regulatory mechanism. In its 2013 election manifesto, the BJP had promised that it will set up a regulatory commission to keep the rising school fees under check but it has yet to do anything.
Even if the Government set up a commission, it will take three-four months to decide on fee structure. By that time, this academic session would be over. The children and parents are unlikely to get any relief this academic session. The parents and children are worried of the rising fees. They are upset as the schools have been pressuring them to buy books worth thousands of rupees every year and the family budget of the parents often gets disturbed in April.