Governor’s nod to Gujarat Self Financed School (Regulation of Fees Bill – 2017), becomes act

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Governor O P Kohli today gave his consent to the ‘much-talked about’ Gujarat Self Financed School (Regulation of Fees Bill – 2017) which was passed in the recently concluded budget session of the state assembly on its penultimate day (March 30).

With the signature of the governor, the bill has now become an act.

Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma said that the governor gave his consent to the bill without any change in it. He signed on it this morning. It would be in force from the new session this year. The related rules and committees were being formed.
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Notably the act 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 act is being seen as a major move towards check on the unabated commercialization of education in the state giving relief to middle class from the heavy burden of fees and other arbitrary measures of the private schools.

The Act will be in force from this academic session and Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma made it clear that those schools which have taken fees at higher rates would have to adjust and equalize it accordingly. ‘There is a provision of tri-monthly fees in the act,’ he said.

The Act also bans the practice of making the purchase of uniforms and books from a particular shop mandatory. It has also abolished various other malpractices with regard to the school fees and related subjects.

DeshGujarat