Fee hike justified, assert city schools

HYDERABAD: A day after the Telangana government announced it will inspect all private-run CBSE and ICSE schools over the arbitrary fee hike, school managements said the fee structure was justified and was in accordance with the facilities provided to the students.
Parents from across the city, under the aegis of Hyderabad School Parents Association, had voiced several complaints on the menace of fat fees being charged by various schools.In view of this, deputy chief minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari constituted a committee on Wednesday to look into the matter.
According to reports, several corporate schools in the state have reportedly hiked fees by 15-50%. While parents lament official apathy and lack of legislation to regulate fee hike, school managements claim that the battle being fought by parents is not based on reason. "Parents, on one hand, demand good facilities and on the other hand crib about the fees. If they have so many problems with the fees, they should admit their children into schools which are affordable for them," said senior principal of a school in Banjara Hills.
Though several schools have agreed to the inspections, they asserted that the fee hike was justified. "We will cooperate with the government during the inspections. We hiked our fee by 11% this year, but the fuss created by the parents is uncalled for," said Minu Khan, assistant director of Glendale Academy.
A group from the Glendale Academy Parents Association had submitted a representation to the education department last month over the fee hike. "As far as the inspections are concerned, we are ready to share whatever information the government asks. The fee charged by us is in accordance with the facilities and infrastructure provided to the students," Khan asserted.
Schools claim that inspections by the government are tampering with the system. "If the fees charged by us are at par with government-aided schools, then the quality of school will be affected. Poor quality education is not something that any parent asks for," said a principal of a school in Kukatpally.
There are a few schools who, however, believe that fee hike by some players in the market will affect the entire system. "The government should inspect only those schools where there has been a definitive fee hike of 30-40%. But now, even schools which haven't hiked their fees would have to face the brunt," said Seetha Murthy, principal of Silver Oaks.
The government, meanwhile, said it has already initiated the process of serving notices. "Once the process is complete, we will begin inspections," said a senior official.