The Ministry of Education has warned that private and boarding schools will be liable to ‘tough action’ if found charging fees willfully in violation of the prescribed standard.

“The ministry has formed a high-powered Central Fee Fixation and Monitoring Committee to investigate the complaints that some private schools have been charging exorbitant fees. It is also working to find solutions to problems caused by fee hike at random by private and boarding schools. The panel is empowered to take instant action against the guilty in course of inspection and monitoring of the schools,” said Mahashram Sharma, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.

The government has also formed a District Fee Fixation Committee led by district education officers at the district level. The committee can recommend the central committee action against those schools that are found at fault.

“The ministry has already launched an investigation into alleged irregularities. Padlocking the schools to protest against fee hike is not a solution to the problem. All stakeholders should hold dialogue to resolve the crisis in a friendly environment,” Sharma said, referring to the agitating CPN-Maoist-aligned All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary).

ANNFSU(R) president Sharad Rasaili alleged that there was an ‘unholy relationship’ between private schools and government officials that was resulting in fee hike at random. “There is a secret understanding and that’s why the government is keeping mum. Private and boarding schools have increased fee by 18 per cent, but the ministry and concerned officials have not been able to take action against them,” he said. The student union has padlocked around 180 institutional schools to protest the fee hike.

Lakshya Bahadur KC, president of Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation, claimed that schools had no other alternative given the rising inflation and that there was a need to adjust salary of teachers of institutional schools with that of their counterparts in community schools. “The government has formed a high-level committee to investigate into fee hike. We are ready to face action if the government finds us on the wrong side of the law,” he said, urging the agitating students to call off their protest.

Suprabhat Bhandari, president of Guardians Association of Nepal, stressed on the need to abide by the existing laws and hold dialogue to find an amicable solution to the crisis. In a statement, he has urged all not to make the education sector their political playground.

source: the himalayan times,13 may 2014