Fee determination: TN seeks report from 3,700 schools

The then state government had enacted the Tamil Nadu Schools Regulation of Fees Act in 2009 to regulate the fee charged by mushrooming private institutions, and also to curtail exorbitant fees and donation collection by the private self-financing schools in the State. In addition, the Private Schools Fee Determination Committee that was set up by the Education Department would also involve in disposing of petitions with regard to collection of excess fees.

A senior official from Education Department told DT Next on Wednesday that the process of fixing fee for about 10,200 schools for three years from 2017-2018 academic year was in progress. “So far, the committee has determined the fee for 6,500 schools,” the official said. According to him, the remaining schools have been called upon to submit records for determination of reasonable fees for the next three academic years – 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.

“The committee has issued circulars to remaining 3,700 schools to furnish the details such as salary (along with the letter from bank for payment through ECS), administrative and maintenance expenditure,” the official said.

The official said the list of the schools that should submit the details were uploaded in the website. “In Chennai, notices were issued to 63 schools across the city,” he said. In addition, the committee would also be involved in disposing of petitions that were lodged by the parents alleging collection of excess fees by school managements.

After hearing petitions in 2017-2018, the committee had issued orders to refund a total sum of Rs 63.86 lakh to students in cases where the managements were found to have collected in excess of the fee fixed by the authorities by a particular school.