Edu Director assures parents of looking into their demands
PUNE: The fight of parents in Maharashtra against fee hike at schools continues. The India Wide Parents Association (IWPA) has continued its protests demanding revoking of amendments in the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2018, which was criticised for being anti-parents. After a protest on Saturday, the Education Director assured the parents that the matter will be looked into.
A major demand of the parents was a meeting with the chief minister, education minister and other authorities before the Budget session of the Assembly starting from February 24.
The IWPA has demanded that schools should compulsorily undergo a financial audit every quarter and publish it on their website.
While many schools ask their students to buy books and uniforms from them, or from particular stores, IWPA has asked the government to hold the schools accountable to ensure that there was no compulsion on buying books and uniform from the school or a particular vendor.
IMPORTANT DEMANDS
- NCERT syllabus be taught in all the schools excluding State Board in line with National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) guidelines.
- PTA and PTA executive committee formation should be examined in each school and it should be done on the basis of lottery and not via election as per Fee Regulation Act.
- Fees collected without PTA approval must be refunded or adjusted.
- District Fee Regulation Committee (DFRC) be set up at district-level and individual parents be allowed to approach them over fee disputes.