Govt planning to bring strict law to rein in private schools

Updated on: Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Private school managements could face criminal proceedings for resorting to unfair practises in matters of admission, tuition fee and teacher salary as the government is contemplating a legislation to make such acts criminal offence.

The proposed legislation would be broadly patterned on the Prohibition of Unfair Practises in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2011, already introduced in Parliament. It would be taken up for deliberation at the forthcoming meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) here next month, sources in the HRD Ministry said.

'The Prohibition of Unfair Practises in Schools and Intermediate Colleges Bill, 2011' would seek to promote transparency through mandatory self-disclosure in the prospectus and website, providing adequate and accessible recourse for remedial action arising out of non-adherence to self-disclosed details and norms.

The legislation would have provision for criminal prosecution and civil penalties for violations, sources said. However adequate safeguards would be built into the legislation so that there is no misuse of authority while imposing penalties of a civil nature or prosecution leading to punishment.

The Bill comes in the backdrop of increased complaints received by boards about unfair means indulged by a section of private schools like demanding donations, overcharging of fees and non issual of written receipts of payments. The charges against these schools also include non- refund of fees, not adhering to syllabus disclosed to public, admission through non-transparent processes, misleading advertisements, engagement of unqualified or ineligible teaching faculty, underpayment to teachers and other employees, etc.

Cases of withholding of certificates and other documents of students who decide after their admission to migrate to other schools have also come to fore, they said. The Bill would prohibit accepting any fee or charges by any institution without issuing receipt, they added. It would also make mandatory for every institution to publish its prospectus in print and on its website and such prospectus should contain all relevant information about the institution.

Govt planning to bring strict law to rein in private schools

More Education news