Gandhinagar: Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama today addressing a press conference here said that implementation of school fees regulation bill will be effective in first quarter of academic year (starting from June 2017) itself. Chudasama appealed parents to pay fees for first quarter only at this juncture. Whatever changes in fees later will be compensated, he assured adding that if not compensated, the school will face heavy penalty as per the bill. Chudasama clarified that till the time the rules are finalized and regulatory committees are formed, no school is permitted to impose fee hike. Chudasama slammed those who are trying to become leader of parents over the issue of school fee. Chudasama said a child would be in school for 12 years and therefore cordial relations between the parents and students should be maintained. He said some people want to become leader over this issue even when they are not parents of school-going child. Chudasama said a child would not be able to concentrate on study when there’s protest going on outside the school. There’s a concern that atmosphere must not spoil.

Updated report:

Gandhinagar:Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma today said that the Gujarat Self Financed School (Regulation of Fees Bill – 2017) passed in the state assembly on March 30 would soon become a law after the formality of signature by the governor and it would be under implementation from the new educational session this year.

He also said that those schools which have already taken admission fee and other fees for the next session at a higher rate than the fixed amount in the bill would have to adjust and equalize it.

Talking to newsmen here Chudasma said the bill was passed to relieve the middle class. He said that the schools affiliated to Gujarat Board or any other board would have to be abide by this law.
Notably the bill has put the upper limit of annual school fees at Rs 15000, 25000 and 27000 for Pre-primary/primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary sections respectively. The school found to be breaching the provisions will have to pay Rs 5 lakh penalty for the first breach, 10 lakh for second and lose its affiliation on the third breach. It also has provision for committees led by retired judges to take up complaints in this regard.
The Minister reiterated that the school operators should not make education a business.

He, however, urged the guardians and school operators to not to take the path of agitation and sort out any issue amicably in the best interest of education. Chudasma urged the guardians to deposit only up to 3 months of advance fees.
He clarified that no school could even increase its old fee after the issue of the circular and setting up of fee regulation committee as envisaged in the bill.

DeshGujarat