Fee panel sets Rs 5-11K band for unaided schools in state

CHENNAI: A committee set up by Tamil Nadu government to determine a new fee structure for private, unaided schools has unveiled a Rs 5,000-11,000 band, a formula unlikely to be accepted by many institutions.

The chairperson of the private schools fee determination committee, Justice K Govindarajan, told a press conference on Friday, "The approximate maximum amount we have fixed for a higher secondary school in the city is Rs 11,000, Rs 9,000 for a high school, Rs 8,000 for a middle school and Rs 5,000 for an elementary school." The committee also proposed that the school could charge an additional 10% on expenditure for future development.

The recommendations are meant to be binding on all institutions that come under the regulation of state boards, including matriculation and Anglo-Indian schools. The panel was formed in the wake of allegations that schools were profiteering by charging exorbitant fees.

However, managements of matriculation schools said the new fee structure would make running a school unviable. The principal and correspondent of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School and general secretary of the Federation of Matriculation Schools' Associations in Tamil Nadu, N Vijayan, said, "This is a big setback for schools, a 25-30% cut. This will cause quality of schools to go down. All the matriculation schools have decided to approach the minister on Saturday with the problems we will face in running a school with such a fee structure."

One school head, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "In the current scenario, I cannot afford to open my school. Where will I get the money to pay my teachers, paint classrooms and prepare for the next academic year?"

Earlier in the day, school education minister Thangam Thennarasu said in the assembly that if there were any complaints regarding schools charging fees higher than that fixed by the committee, an enquiry would be conducted and stern action taken.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Fee-panel-sets-Rs-5-11K-band-for-unaided-schools-in-state/articleshow/5904942.cms

Fee Structure for schools announced

05.07.2010 (GMT+5.5)

Chennai: The Justice Govindarajan Commission, constituted by the Tamil Nadu Government to fix the fee structure for private schools, today announced the fee structure, ranging from Rs 3,500 to Rs 11,000, even as School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu warned of stern action against schools which collected higher fees.

Retired Judge K Govindarajan, heading the Commission, held detailed discussions with the heads of private schools, holding more than 15 sittings and announced the fee structure.

The chairperson of the private schools fee determination committee, Justice K Govindarajan, told a press conference on Friday, "The approximate maximum amount we have fixed for a higher secondary school in the city is Rs 11,000, Rs 9,000 for a high school, Rs 8,000 for a middle school and Rs 5,000 for an elementary school." The committee also proposed that the school could charge an additional 10% on expenditure for future development and no school could collect more than this.

The 10,951 private schools in the State would be informed of the fee strucutre, which would be in force for three years, he said.

If complaints were received that any particular school collected more than the fee fixed by the Commission and the same was proved, its recognition would be cancelled, he said.

However, managements of matriculation schools said the new fee structure would make running a school unviable. The principal and correspondent of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School and general secretary of the Federation of Matriculation Schools' Associations in Tamil Nadu, N Vijayan, said, "This is a big setback for schools, a 25-30% cut. This will cause quality of schools to go down. All the matriculation schools have decided to approach the minister on Saturday with the problems we will face in running a school with such a fee structure."

One school head, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "In the current scenario, I cannot afford to open my school. Where will I get the money to pay my teachers, paint classrooms and prepare for the next academic year?"

Meanwhile, Mr Thennarasu, replying to a Call Attention in the State Assembly, warned of stern action against schools which collected higher fees.

The State Government had constituted the Commission following complaints that private schools, in many parts of the State, were collecting higher fees, detrimental to the interest of poor students.
http://www.stockwatch.in/fee-fixed-private-schools-tamil-nadu-25817

India 'colonial' shoe ban drive

India 'colonial' shoe ban drive

Indian children could soon be wearing canvas shoes to school rather than the heavy leather brogues, widely viewed as relics from the British colonial era.

Indian politician Maneka Gandhi is campaigning to ban the shoes as they are "unhealthy and uncomfortable" and "destroying" the feet of school-goers.

Reports say the drive is supported by two major school boards. Education policy-makers have not yet commented.

Black leather shoes are mandatory for students in most schools in India.

"Leather shoes are really bad for our children," news agency AFP quoted Ms Gandhi as saying.

These shoes, originally from Ireland and Scotland, were suitable for cold climates and not for the heat of India, she added.

Last year, Ms Gandhi wrote to the human resource development ministry protesting against the use of leather shoes.

The ministry then asked school boards for their opinion.

According to reports, the two main boards - Central Board of School Education (CBSE) and Indian Council for Secondary Education (ICSE) - have responded favourably to the suggestion.

Ms Gandhi says several schools in the southern city of Madras (Chennai) have already swapped leather shoes for canvas ones. A similar move is underway in the northern city of Chandigarh too, she says.

Maneka Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of former Indian premier Indira Gandhi and the widow of her younger son, Sanjay Gandhi.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8664721.stm

Published: 2010/05/06 13:04:54 GMT

© BBC MMX

Mr. DM plz do something

i next reporter
KANPUR (16 April) : भीषण धूप और चिलचिलाती गर्मी से जहां स्कूली बच्चे बीमार पड़ रहे हैं. वहीं पैरेंट्स को भी तमाम दिक्कतों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है. इसके बावजूद स्कूलों की टाइमिंग जस की तस है. स्कूलों की इसी मनमानी से तंग आकर पैरेंट्स ने डीएम से हस्तक्षेप कर स्कूल टाइमिंग में बदलाव की अपील की है.
स्कूलों की मनमानी
सर पद्मपत सिंघानिया में पढ़ने वाले बच्चे के फादर आरसी भट्ट के मुताबिक दोपहर दो बजे घर वापसी के दौरान बच्चों की हालत खराब हो जाती है. मर्सी मेमोरियल की एक स्टूडेंट की मदर सुनीता ने बताया कि दोपहर को घर लौटते वक्त कभी-कभी कनवेंस नहीं मिलता. जिससे ज्यादा परेशानी होती है. किरन और सुधाकर के अनुसार दोपहर को बिजली कटौती के चलते बच्चों की हालत खराब हो जाती है. अगर डीएम ऑर्डर करें तो स्कूल की टाइमिंग चेंज हो सकता है.
डीएम से मिले
उधर, आइडियल पैरेंट्स वेलफेयर एसोसिएशन ने फ्राइडे को डीएम अमृत अभिजात से मुलाकात कर स्कूल टाइमिंग में बदलाव की गुहार लगाई. एसोसिएशन के महामंत्री उमंग अग्रवाल ने कहा कि सभी स्कूलों को दोपहर दो बजे तक छुट्टी कर देनी चाहिए. जिससे बच्चे समय पर घर वापस आ जाएं. अगर प्रशासन जल्द कोई ठोस कदम नहीं उठाएगा, तो हम अपने बच्चों को स्कूल नहीं भेजकर उनकी जान जोखिम में नहीं डालेंगे. एसोसिएशन ने डीएम से स्कूलों के मनमानी फीस वसूली के मुद्दे को भी पुरजोर तरीके से उठाया.

Books of Class 4th Allen House

Niharika Garments Invoice

Admission से पहले होगा घमासान!

KANPUR (16 Feb): एडमिशन फार्म मिलने शुरू होने के साथ ही पैरेंट्स और स्कूलों के बीच पिछली बार की तरह महाभारत छिड़ने की आशंकाएं पैदा हो गई हैं. कारण वही पुराना है. पैरेंट्स एसोसिएशनों के अनुसार स्कूलों ने कोर्ट आदेशों की फिक्र नहीं करते हुए फिर से प्रेमिसिस से ही किताब-कॉपियां और यूनिफार्म बेचने की तैयारी कर ली है. वहीं रोक के बावजूद नन्हे बच्चों और पैरेंट्स के इंटरव्यूज की घोषणाएं की जा रही हैं. पैरेंट्स ने नए सिरे से स्कूल प्रबंधनों के खिलाफ कोर्ट जाने की तैयारी कर ली है. रजिस्ट्रेशन से लेकर एडमिशन फीस और कॉशन मनी तक पर विवाद होने के आसार हैं. पैरेंट्स एसोसिएशंस कलेक्ट्रेट से लेकर स्कूलों तक पर धरने प्रदर्शन और आमरण अनशन करने की तैयारी में हैं.
पैरेंट्स सएोसिएशंस के पदाधिकारी जितेंद्र चौहान और उमंग अग्रवाल कहते हैं कि दिल्ली के एक केस में हाई कोर्ट से सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक स्कूल से यूनिफार्म और बुक्स वगैरह नहीं बेचने का आदेश दे चुके हैं. पर कमीशन के चक्कर में स्कूल वाले या तो स्कूल से ही या फिर किसी एक खास शॉप से ही बुक्स लाने को आज भी पेरेंट्स को मजबूर करते हैं. वो पब्लिशर से भी कमीशन के चक्कर में छोटे क्लासों की कुछ खास बुक्स ही मंगाते भी हैं, जिनका न तो कोई सब्स्टीट्यूट होता है और न ही दूसरी बुक्स एक्सेप्ट करते हैं. मजबूरी में उसी जगह से लेनी पड़ती है.

Parents left worried as schools announce fee hike

TNN, 8 February 2010, 10:49pm IST
KANPUR: Ahead of the academic year, majority of private and public schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE Boards are set to go for a 5-15 per cent hike in school fees. Accordingly, principals and management have already started issuing fee-hike notifications to the parents of the students studying in their school. Two of the renowned public schools in Azad Nagar and Sarvodaya Nagar have already issued notices in the interest of the parents informing them about the 7-12 per cent of hike in fee for all the classes from pre-Nursery to Class XII. The notice clearly mentions that the parents can beforehand take a decision to pay the fees or take their children out of the school. The principal and the school management, according to the notification have attributed high rate of inflation, increase in the higher standards of education, keeping the interest of the teachers in view and development of schools to be the reason behind fee hike. "We are a big school but that doesn't mean we don't need to increase the fees. At a time when inflation rate is crossing the 10% mark and we have construction expense and we also have to bear an increased expense of more than Rs 10,000 per teacher on their salary, we have to see how we can meet our expenses," said Alok Mishra, manager of both the schools. Similarly, another private school affiliated to CBSE, in Barra, has notified the parents about increasing minimum Rs 1,000 in the quarterly fee. More so, the Uttar Pradesh Vidyalay Prabandhak Mahasabha (UPVPM) -- a body of the school management -- too have confirmed about the fee hike in schools that may increase as per infrastructure and set norms. "A hike of 5-10 per cent in the fees is likely in the academic session 2010-11. As the private schools are supposed to increase the fees once a year, the raise in the fees has to be set to meet the standards of the schools. It may even be raised to 15 per cent," said Abhishek Chaturvedi, secretary, UPVPM. "Over 90 per cent of the city schools are likely to increase the fees. These include the schools which had not increased the school fee last year or had gone for a minimal increase in the fee," said he, claiming that only 10 per cent of the schools of the city had raised the fee. He was of the opinion that not the city schools alone, the fee is being increased in majority of the schools in the state. Ensuring the survival of the schools in the time of inflation is being cited as the prime reason by the school management to go for the fee hike again. Moreover, the schools say that the proposed hike (upto 15 per cent from last year's fee) is too little for their survival. "Arrears are mounting. The schools will have to pay for the salary of the teachers in accordance with the sixth pay commission. They would have to meet the education standards. How will they afford it?" said Chaturvedi. However, the news of the fee hike has started giving sleepless nights to the parents, who feel cheated as the schools according to them had already increased the fee last year. Subsequently, parents have yet again been forced to register their protest against the school management. "How can these schools increase fees, when the decision is already pending in the high court. The schools have been increasing fees in the name of sixth pay commission and inflation. More so, they claim that the maximum benefits would be received by the teachers and also by the students, but the ground reality is that the schools offer nothing in the name of extra activities," said Umang Agarwal, general secretary of Ideal Parents Welfare Association. Another parent claimed: "When the schools are questioned about showing their account books, the school management asks us to get our child enrolled in another school. The schools have been charging exorbitant fees in the name of books and uniforms and still they want to increase the fee."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Parents-left-worried-as-schools-announce-fee-hike/articleshow/5549661.cms

Memorandum given to DM,Kanpur

Demand of Central Law (Fee Ragularatory Act)

Danik Jagran 02.02.2010

Notice DPS Azadnagar

School to increase Fees, Again

Dt.30.01.2010 Hindustan Times

Jagoo rai parents Hard time come again

The Fruits Of Tenacity

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Parity question Free education isn’t good enough. Is it of the same quality for all?

advocacy

The Fruits Of Tenacity

Activists realise it takes a fight to translate democracy from thin paper to thick action

Saikat Datta , Anuradha Raman

In the winter of 1997, advocate Ashok Agarwal filed a petition in the Supreme Court opposing the nearly 400 per cent hike in school fees. This was the year the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations were implemented and the salaries of teachers shot up. Parents trying to cope with the overall price rise were suddenly hit by hefty school bills.

In November 2007, Agarwal filed his first pil on an education-related issue with nothing but newspaper clippings for evidence. “The judges told me they needed more to adjudicate the matter, so off I went with my camera to the government and MCD schools, looking for evidence,” he says. Thus began a journey to seek out the true meaning of the Constitution of India, which created the Republic of India and promised equality, liberty and fraternity to all citizens.

Agarwal’s journey has been replicated by many others who have fought for the rights of India’s forgotten citizens in a republic that unfortunately often behaves more like an oligarchy. They have pushed the boundaries of the law to reaffirm the Constitution and guarantee fundamentals like the right to life, equality, dignity and freedom of speech.

We now have the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Right to Information Act (RTI), the Right to Education Act (RTE) and the Panchayati Raj Act, all of which reasserted and reinforced rights denied to many. But these empowering instruments did not come easy. A dedicated band of activists—from diverse backgrounds but united by a vision—had to fight to eventually bring life to words enshrined in the Constitution.

One of them was Nikhil Dey. In 1990, he had returned to India after abandoning a bachelor’s degree course at the George Mason University, outside Washington DC. He travelled to Tilonia, in Rajasthan, and met Shankar Singh and Aruna Roy. Together they set up the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Sanghatan (MKSS). Soon after, Kushalpur and Samelia, villages in Rajsamand, began protesting to seek accountability.

“The villagers wanted to know what was happening to the public works, their PDS allocations, their anganwadis, land pattas—all basic needs,” says Dey. Singh and Roy had played a major role in mobilising people and the first jan sunwai (public hearing) was held in Kot Kirana in 1994. On April 6, 1996, a dharna was organised demanding the right to information. It continued for 40 days. A year later, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, then chief minister, announced that the assembly would legislate for an information act.

“Even the Right to Education Act creates inequality. It grades schools, and those who go to better ones do better.”Ashok Agarwal, Activist

The fact that the UPA government at the Centre finally passed such an act is now history. But the recent judgement of the Delhi High court that the chief justice of India too falls under the RTI act led to a broadening of its ambit. The court upheld the earlier single-bench ruling that the cji did come under the act. “For the first time the scope of the act was increased to include Article 14 of the Constitution (the right to equality), Article 21 (the right to life) and, of course, Article 19 (1) (freedom of expression). This is a huge step,” says an ecstatic Dey. While there is more denial than information dissemination, lesser penalties than rejections, the RTI has now crossed the Rubicon.

But for people like Agarwal, the fight to empower children through education is far from over. For years he walked hundreds of kilometres through dirt, filth, facing the apathy of school administrations. “No one cares. If you speak about private schools, the media sits up. No one talks about government schools, where lakhs of children study. They work without books, drinking water, roofs, benches—the most basic things. Is it fair?” he asks.

Article 38 of the Constitution says wealth should not be concentrated in a few hands; it must be equally distributed. “Is that our reality? It also says in Article 45 that the state shall provide free and compulsory education to every child up to the age of 14 years. Do you see that? Instead, the Right to Education Act is also flawed and actually creates inequality by grading schools in a hierarchy. Children who go to better-graded schools will get superior education while the others suffer.”

Former minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, during whose tenure the panchayat raj ministry became newsworthy, recalls his time at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, where “power to the people” was often debated. Later, with friend and former PM Rajiv Gandhi, he and his team worked towards the 74th amendment to pave the way for a village-level representative administration. He says it’s been a journey that has both elated and agonised him.

He’s elated because, barring a few states, the panchayati raj system is actually functioning with 33 per cent representation of women in positions of power. But Aiyar rues the lack of political will to hold on to the belief that without power to the people, democracy would be just in name and economic growth may well be a figure to be bandied about. “If a 100 Indians control 25 per cent of our GDP and 77 per cent of Indians live on less than Rs 20 a day, economic growth has not really led to an economic development of all,” says Aiyar.

In trying to seek a solution to how the world’s largest democracy can be more equitable and inclusive, Aiyar offers this formula. “Allow the panchayati raj ministry to take over the ministries of home and finance. If power is to actually devolve to the peo- ple, it’s high time we change the notion of delivered development to one that is participatory.”

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By Saikat Datta and Anuradha Raman

Demand of National Law on the lines of Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act, 2009