While the inflation is increasing day-by-day, the parents are now going to be troubled more with the fee hike. The educational fee that is being charged by the State Education Department is expected to change after 40 years. The concern letter for the same has been submitted by the Education Commissioner to the Secretary of the School Education Department. As a result, the fees for aided schools in the state will increase in Mumbai and across the state.
School’s arbitrary management
The education fee has been fixed in 1977-78 by the Education Department for aided and non-aided schools in the state including Mumbai. There have not been any changes in the fee hike for almost 40 years. Almost all schools are looting the parents arbitrarily by charging any fee they want and without considering the fee structure set by the Education Department. However, junior colleges are being charged more than ten times the fees prescribed by Education departments. There is no separate restriction on the fees charged by the colleges, so every college fees in the city are different. Therefore, the education department has urged Vishu Bafna, director of the Education Improvement Campaign (SISCOM), to bring uniformity in fees. On the other hand, the education commissioner has written a letter to the chief secretary of the school education and asked for the above change.
letter written to the chief secretary by vaishali bafna
In the current situation, in the letter written to the chief secretary of the school education and sports department, reads that the fees are charged in Schools & in Junior college, as set 40 years back and not as per the current inflation rate. For this reason, high fees are levied by junior colleges than the government fees. Therefore, the education commissioner has expressed the opinion that there is a need for amendment in the Fee Act. After this letter of education commissioners, the sources said that the fees of Class 1st to 5th, 6th to 8th and 9th to 12th are expected to change.
“Many schools are raising fees by referring to the old rules of fees set by the Education department. But today, fees are not being taken as per old rules. So, we have instructed the government from time to time and also submitted a proposal of fee recommendations through CISCO. When we asked the government about this, they said it is in under consideration.”
Vaishali Bafna, Siscom, Education Improvement Campaign
School statistics of the state
Local Government Institution – 66750
Aided – 23307
Unaided – 1916
Unauthorized – 1092
Total – 110315
Education fees fixed in 1977
For Aided Corporation Schools –
For 1st and 2nd standard – Rs 15 per month + 20 per session i.e. Rs. 210
For 3rd and 4th standard – Rs 20 per month + 20 per session i.e. Rs. 280
For Aided Private Schools –
For 1st to 7th standard – Rs. 5, 6 and 7 respectively
For 8th to 10th standard – Rs. 8, 9 and 10 respectively
