Supreme Court Directs Telangana Govt. To Regulate Private School Fee

Hyderabad: Hearing a special leave petition over fee hike by private schools, Supreme Court on Tuesday said the state can and should constitute district fee regulatory committees (DFRC) to regulate fees in private schools including those affiliated to CBSE and ICSE boards.

“The apex court felt it was the duty of the state government to regulate school fees and we hope the government initiates steps in this regard,” HSPA members said.

The bench was headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur and incidentally the observations came six years after the erstwhile united AP government issued GO 91 on constitution of DFRC to regulate fees in private schools.

Until then, the government must put all fee hikes in abeyance and implement provisions under GO 91, especially the one which states that schools must collect admission fee of not more than Rs 5,000

It may be recalled that in 2009, several school managements had appealed against it in the High Court. While the High Court in its judgement had asked the government to make a provision for notifying the fees recommended by the DFRC, the then government had later filed a special leave petition in 2011 in the apex court challenging the High Court verdict.

The Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) last year took up the case that was not pursued by the state government since 2011.

Following Supreme Court order, the HSPA demanded that state government must constitute DFRCs for the next academic year.

A press note by HSPA read as, “Until then, the government must put all fee hikes in abeyance and implement provisions under GO 91, especially the one which states that schools must collect admission fee of not more than Rs 5,000”.