NAGPUR: Minister of state for school education Bachchu Kadu has directed the state education department officials to prepare an action plan to initiate stringent action against private schools, which allegedly charged excess fees from parents and are not refunding them even after its orders.
Department officials said the minister, during his visit to the city on Thursday, asked deputy director of education Vaishali Jamdar to constitute a panel of experts that would collect entire information from the schools regarding fees collected over the years and where they spent it.
“The schools were charging fees from students beyond prescribed limits as per the ‘Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011’ and other laws governing school education. The panel would examine all aspects and help the deputy director recover excess fees from such erring schools,” Kadu told TOI.
Earlier, officials apprised Kadu of the department’s action against five private schools so far, who were found charging excess fees. They said another 13 schools were on radar where investigations were underway. Collectively, their managements were directed to refund Rs22 crore to parents.
The minister’s directives came after none of the schools refunded fees even after its specific orders. Instead, some approached the HC and secured interim stay on its orders. Their managements hired renowned lawyers while those pleading for the government failed to properly present their case due to lack of proper documentation, the officials said.
Last week, Jamdar ordered Podar International at Besa, St Vincent Palloti at Jafar Nagar, Sandipani at Hazaripahad and one more school at Hiwri Nagar to refund the excess fees of nearly Rs13 crore to parents within a month. These fees were charged in just three years, in the academic session 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The experts panel will comprise Wardha-based District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) principal, parents and deputy director. It would draft a comprehensive action plan and submit it to the minister. The members would further help the director with required documentation when she conducts hearings of school managements on charging excess fees from the students. They would also take care of all documents and proofs that would be required to defend the department’s orders or fees recovery in Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, as per the officials
Special lawyers to plead cases against schools
The minister had asked the education department officials to hire special lawyers to plead cases against private schools and also make efforts to remove HC’s stay by submitting proper proof of action against them. He also told the director to personally visit schools which are not providing audit reports of the last few years despite repeated warnings by officials. The minister’s visit came after scores of parents lodged complaints with his office about inaction by the department against schools which are forcing them to pay fees. The schools are adopting tactics like stopping online education of children and even not allowing them to appear in preliminary exams, said officials.
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