Don't let schools charge arbitrary fees, UP parents say

Citing Delhi and Gujarat, the Ghaziabad Parents Association (GPA) on Sunday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government for allowing private schools to raise fees at will.

GPA President Seema Tyagi and her colleagues berated the UP Fee Regulatory Bill, whose draft has been uploaded, and pledged to challenge it in the Supreme Court.

"The draft is rejected totally. It is against the spirit of the Constitution which guarantees education as a fundamental right," Tyagi told the media.

She said that parents had been fighting the unchecked hikes in tuition fee by private schools.

Now, parents were shocked to see that the new bill allowed school managements to increase the fees whenever they want, she said.

Tyagi said the Delhi and Gujarat governments in contrast had put curbs on private schools.

She also said that schools cannot charge fees quarterly, half-yearly or annually. They can only charge fees every month. "But this draft has given them the liberty to charge fees at their will."

Added Satya Pal Chaudhary, the patron of GPA: "We will be challenging this draft in the Supreme Court and urge it to issue contempt notice to Sanjay Agrawal, the Principal Secretary (Education) in the Uttar Pradesh government, for acting against law."

--IANS

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