Assam: PIL over fee charged by schools in state

GUWAHATI, May 15, 2018: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in Gauhati High Court against the fee charged by private schools in Assam in an arbitrary manner.

In the PIL, petitioner Nayandhiju Sharma has highlighted mushrooming of non-government, private schools/ institutions across the state and also unilateral and recurring enhancement of tuition and other fees, levied by them, without following the due process of law.

Besides, Sharma said these institutions are not maintaining proper norms according to different rules and guidelines.

The petitioner also said the state government had failed to control the exorbitant fees charged by private institutions which put an unbearable burden on parents of students studying in those institutions.

Among those made respondents in the PIL are principals of some private schools, the principal secretary of the state education department, the commissioner and secretary of the education department, the director of elementary education, the director of secondary education, the secretary of Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba), and the regional officer of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The PIL makes a prayer to the high court to issue directions to the state respondents to implement the provisions laid down in the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation and Management) Act, 2006, and the rules framed under and the provisions of the bylaws of the CBSE in its letter and spirit and ensure its compliance by the non-government educational institutions.

It also stated that there is a need to fix the courses and syllabus from Classes I to VIII and introduce the courses and syllabus of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)/State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) in all non-government schools across Assam since there has been no fixed course or syllabus under the CBSE and Seba.

Source: The Telegraph

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