Relief for Parents? Telangana Drafts Bill to Regulate Private School and College Fees!

A draft bill aimed at regulating fees in private schools and colleges in Telangana has been prepared. According to sources, Akunuri Murali, Chairman of the Telangana State Education Commission, has submitted the draft to the state government. The commission has reportedly recommended the establishment of a Fee Regulation Commission to oversee fee structures in private educational institutions.

Parents across the state have expressed growing concern over the rising burden of school and college fees. Allegations have surfaced that managements of private institutions are increasing fees annually, leaving parents financially strained.

In response, the state government entrusted the responsibility of drafting the bill to Akunuri Murali. The Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) has also submitted its recommendations to the Education Commission. The association has proposed the creation of a state-level committee, similar to the Telangana Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (TAFRC) for engineering and professional courses, to monitor and regulate fees in private schools. They suggested appointing a retired High Court judge as the committee’s chairman.

HSPA Joint Secretary Venkat, along with other representatives, recently met with Akunuri Murali and submitted a memorandum outlining their concerns. They proposed that instead of annual fee hikes, audits of financial reports should be conducted every three years, similar to the system in engineering colleges. The association also recommended establishing a grievance redressal mechanism to address parents’ concerns effectively.