New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil on Monday raised concerns over exorbitant school fees, causing financial burden on parents, and urged the government to bring strict regulations on fee hikes.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress member said the uncontrolled and ever-increasing fee structure in private schools across the country is putting unbearable pressure on middle-class and lower-middle-class families.
“Education is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right. Yet today, for many parents, educating their children in so called good schools, has become a financial burden, bordering on distress, for many parents,” she said.
She highlighted that every year, private schools arbitrarily hike fees, often without transparency or justification.
Along with tuition fees, parents are compelled to pay various additional charges, such as development charges, activity charges, smart class charges, and are even forced to purchase books and uniforms from selected vendors at a high price.
“This reflects the growing commercialisation of education, which goes against the very spirit of our own constitution,” Patil said.
She further said the landmark Right to Education (RTE) Act ensured that 25 per cent of seats in private schools are reserved for children from economically weaker sections, providing them free and compulsory education.
“However, today, we are witnessing a situation where on one hand, the spirit of inclusivity is weakening, and on the other hand, the remaining 75 per cent of parents are being subjected to unchecked financial burden,” she said.
The Congress member said that while some states have enacted fee regulations, the implementation remains weak and inconsistent.
She stressed the urgent need for a strong, transparent, and uniform regulatory framework on school fees.
Patil urged the government to implement strict regulations on fee hikes, mandate full transparency in school finances, curb hidden and compulsory charges, and protect the rights and interests of parents and students.
“If you fail to act now, quality education will become the privilege of a few rather than the right of every child. Education must empower, it should not impoverish families,” she added.
In his Zero Hour mention, Akhilesh Prasad Singh (Congress) said Bihar lags significantly in industrialisation in comparison to the national average.
He said that despite accounting for 9 per cent of the country’s population, Bihar only contributes about 3 per cent to India’s GDP.
He also said that due to a lack of employment opportunities, about 20 lakh people go to other states in search of jobs annually.
The Congress demanded setting up 5-6 integrated industrial townships in Bihar under the Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial Corridor.
This, he said, will lead to industrialisation in the state and balanced growth in eastern India. PTI NKD NKD BAL BAL
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