Andhra Private Schools To Have A Maximum Fee Of Rs. 30, 000

Andhra Pradesh is now considering for fixing an upper limit on the fees charged by private schools. A panel constituted by the state government has recommended that private schools in urban areas should not charge a maximum of Rs.24, 000 per annum as tuition fee up to Class 5 and Rs.30, 000 up to Class 10.

The six-member panel was constituted last month following public complaints that several schools introduced a steep hike in the tuition fees for the academic year 2009-10.

The six-member panel that was headed by commissioner of intermediate education Luv Agarwal requested the managements of all private schools to roll back the fee hike.

The tuition fee for private schools in rural areas has been fixed at Rs.15, 000 per annum up to Class 10. The fee excludes transport, food, books, and uniform as well as hostel charges.

The panel fixed a maximum registration fee of Rs.100 for all schools. It also prescribed that schools should not collect more than Rs.5, 000 as caution deposit and it should be refundable.

All private schools in the state will also have to take permission from the district-level fee regulatory committee for increasing the fee. The committee will be headed by the district collector.

The panel recommended that all schools set up a governing council by including representatives of the management, teachers and parents. It also asked schools to set up a parent teacher association, which should be consulted by the management on the fee hike.

It also suggested that buying books, stationery and uniform from the school should be optional and that transport charges be collected on the basis of distance.

The committee also directed schools to do away with tags like international, talent, techno, model and e-school.