Shimla , Mar 31
Jai Ram Government did not present the private education institution management bill to regulate exorbitant school fees, under the pressure of private school lobby, alleged district secretary CPI(M) and former mayor of Shimla MC, Sanjay Chauhan.
In a press statement issued Chauhan said that the Government was expected to come with a new private education institution management bill in the last budget session of assembly to curb the monopoly of private schools.
Demanding immediate promulgation of an ordinance in this respect Chauhan said that educational institutions should be brought under regulation and could not be allowed to
scot free as they are charging exorbitant fee from students. The State cannot be expected to curb the whims and fancies of such institutions without enactment of regulation to control educational activities in the private sector institutions.
Also read:https://himachalscape.com/tight-spot-school-fee-during-covid-19/
”Parents of students who are facing frequent demands of heavy school fees and
charges from such schools are waging a battle against this practice to demand a legislation for regulation of educational activities in such schools and bring hike and fixation of fee under a regulated frame work ” he informed.
By allowing the schools to continue function unregulated, the state wants to give a free reign to such institutions who are increasing fee structure every passing year, he alleged.
” It is open now how such institutions behaved with students during Covid Pandemic. Such educational institutions kept most of parents under stress by continuedly demanding fee from them. ”
” It was after the intervention of parents and the party that the government passed an order to partly exempt the charging of whooping fee. ”
The negligent attitude of the govt. is serving the purpose of such autocratic institutions to keep demanding exorbitant fee and other charges from students. He further alleged that recently most schools have announced a sharp a hike of 12 to 20 per cent in fee for the upcoming academic year, which could not be justified without regulation of fixation of school fee.
Party warned that if state will not come out with an ordinance soon it would stage statewide protests. People are already facing the burnt of Covid pandemic however despite collecting heavy sum on the name of ‘relief funds’ the state Government is doing nothing to give any relief to general public.
