Centre plans ban on capitation fee

BANGALORE: The Centre has announcedbringing in a comprehensive legislation banning schools and intermediatecolleges from collecting capitation fee, publishing false or misleadingadvertisements and accepting admission fee without receipt.The proposed legislation — The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Schools and Intermediate Colleges Bill, 2011 — will be first discussed during the Central Advisory Board of Education meeting on June 7 in New Delhi. Designed on the lines of a similar legislation that bans unfair practices among technical and medical institutions, the HRD ministry has decided to extend it to from primary up to senior secondary level.The legislation aims atpromoting transparency through mandatory self-disclosure in the prospectus andschool websites. Information regarding physical, academic and facilitiesrelating to quality of education should be mandatorily published by schools andadhered to. Schools will be liable to refund fee deposited by a student if theadmission is withdrawn by a student.