CBSE asks schools to run as community service and not as business

New Delhi: Amid concerns by parents over increase in school fees, HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said CBSE has asked affiliated schools not to effect any raise arbitrarily and take into confidence parent-teacher associations before initiating any hike. The CBSE sent an advisory on Friday to schools saying they should not burden the child and parents and should run as a “community service and not as a business enterprise”. It also directed schools not to hike fees in mid-session, saying fee should be in line with the facilities and no capitation fee should be charged, failing which, it threatened of action like fine and disaffiliation. “We have through CBSE written to all schools saying that for hiking of fees in affiliated schools you have to take into confidence the parents-teacher association. Till such time they don’t agree to a fee hike, and the fee hike is not in proportion to facilities that you are giving in schools,” she told a press conference. [caption id=“attachment_2714962” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] She was responding to a query on the concern by parents in cases of a steep hike in fee structure without informing them and which is uncalled for. “You are not allowed to hike fees in the middle of the year and you are not allowed to keep away receipts which are rightfully to be given away to parents. These are the initiatives and instructions that are going through the government to schools and states so that the interests of the students can be protected,” she said. The CBSE advisory later said, “It has been observed recently that there is a growing tendency among some of the institutions to make profit by raising fees under various heads. A large number of CBSE schools are not adhering to the provisions concerning tuition fees laid down in the Affiliation Bye-Laws of the Board which are mandatory in nature.” It further said, “Taking a very serious note of the complaints being received from parents regarding fee hike, capitation fee, the board has issued an advisory to all affiliated schools for strict adherence of the relevant Bye-laws of the Board.” As per the advisory, the CBSE has asked schools that the fee charged should be commensurate with the facilities provided and fees should normally be charged under the heads prescribed by the Department of Education of the State/U.T. for schools of different categories. “No capitation fee or voluntary donations for gaining admission in the school or for any other purpose should be charged/collected in the name of the school. In case of such malpractices, the Board may take drastic action leading to disaffiliation of the school,” it said.