Arbitrary fee hike by private schools raised in Rajya Sabha

Arbitrary hike in fees by private schools came under the spotlight in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with many members raising the issue.

Shwait Malik of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought an enquiry into the abnormal fees charged by private schools, saying that "traders" were now opening schools with the sole purpose of making money.

He said that schools force parents to buy dress, books and stationery only from them or designated shops at exorbitant prices.

"Besides donations, schools ask for building fee. Parents are forced to buy books at four times the usual price. They are forced to buy uniforms from schools while they should ideally get it from tailors. The parents are exploited on various pretexts such as tour and scientific experiments," Malik said.

Surendra Singh Nagar of Samajwadi Party alleged during the Zero Hour that school fees had almost gone up 150 per cent since 2005. Apart from this, the parents were over-charged for various activities.

He said the Uttar Pradesh government had brought a law to control private schools but it had still not been fully enforced in the state.

"The nearest city from here is Noida. There, parents have been going from pillar to post to take benefits of the law," Nagar said.

Many other members associated themselves with the issue and sought the government's intervention. IANS