Shimla: Education minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman let the Vidhan Sabha know that the government was considering an amendment to the existing law or bringing a new legislation for regulating the fee structure of private schools and colleges.
Responding to a Suresh Bhardwaj, (BJP) private member bill, the minister acknowledged that presently there was no law to regulate the fee structure in private educational institutions.
He read out operating paragraphs of Delhi High court and Supreme Court judgements that disallow captivation fee to professional colleges and uphold the governments’ right to regulate fee structure to such institutions.
He said that there were 2081 private schools in the state of which 164 were attached to the CBSE syllabi and 25 were affiliated with ISC board and rest were affiliated with the Himachal school education board
Fee being charged by private institutions had to be inconsonance with facilities being provided, which was mainly serving students of rich parents. The government schools were catering to the education needs of the poor, said Dhiman.
The minister mentioned that there was a clause in the 1997 education act which was made applicable in 2006 whereby private educational institutions needed the approval of director education of increasing the fee structures of an institutions.
Keeping the shortcomings in law in mind, the government was considering whether an amendment to the existing law or a new law should be enacted for regulating fee structure of private educational institutions, the minister assured the house.
Satisfied with the minister response Suresh Bhardwaj withdrew the resolution.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
