Govt seeks your inputs on changes to Fee Act, but parents sceptical

Parents say FRA in its current form is toothless. Representation pic

The state education department has sought the public's suggestions for amendments in the Fee Regulation Act (FRA). The move is significant for parents who are in constant battle with school managements over fee during the pandemic, but they don't seem very hopeful of the results.

The pandemic shut down schools and introduced online classes, and parents demanded a reduction in fees, but to no avail. Several protests were organised to pressurise the government to change the FRA, whose current clauses, according to parents, favour school managements.

A Government Resolution released on Tuesday invited all individuals, parents associations and schools managements to upload their suggestions online. "The online form for suggestions will remain open for one month. The committee formed to brainstorm on amendments will go through all the suggestions before making the recommendations," it stated.

The Act, originally passed in 2014, was amended several times, making it toothless, said parents. "An amendment earlier denied individual parents the right to complain against school managements. It became more useless with the removal of penal provisions and time limit for grievance redressal at the Divisional Fee Regulation Committee. The original Act had a clause that stated if a school is found guilty, the management has to pay double the amount it wrongfully collected from the parents as fine. An amendment removed this clause and now the penal action only includes a decided fine," said Anubha Shrivastava of India Wide Parents Association.

Shrivastava added that there is objection to the committee for brainstorming suggestions, as it lacks parents' representative. "How much of it [invitation for suggestions] really works is something to look forward to, as suggestions were invited in 2017 too. But there was no relief for parents. In fact, certain amendments made the Act more favourable to school managements," said Prasad Tulskar, a parent and activist.