Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed two bills to regulate fees in edu

NewsMeter Network, Hyderabad

With the aim to regulate fees in the schools and higher educational institutions in the state Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday passed two bills. The bills aim to regulate fee structure in private institutions and monitor education standards.

The assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh School Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Bill-2019 for the Schools and the Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Bill-2019 for colleges and other institutions.

The bills propose a school education regulatory and monitoring commission to maintain standards of education, regulation of fee, competences of teachers, effective inspection and implementation of Right to Education Act, 2009.

The Andhra Pradesh School Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission to be headed by a retired High Court Judge who will be appointed by the Chief Justice of AP High Court.

While tweeting about the bill Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stated, “Education is not a business, it’s a service. We are going to make education accessible to low-income and middle-income communities. We have passed bills to set up a commission under the guidance of retired High Court judges, to monitor fees and infrastructure facilities in schools and colleges.”

Meanwhile, Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) who has been fighting since years to set up a School Fee regulatory committee in Telangana state appreciated AP CM YS Jagan for setting up a Fee Regulatory Committee as soon as he came to power. Apart from prasing YS Jagan they also criticized Telangana govt for not fulfilling the same demands of parents in Telangana despite several protests by them.

Mr Ashish Naredi, member HSPA told the Newsmeter, "Other fact that needs to be noted is that there is no real agitation in AP against 'School Fee Loot' and no parents association there. Yet, the Andhra Pradesh government has shown receptivity to parents' woes and passed an ACT in the first session of the Assembly".

He added, "This is in stark contrast to the complete un-responsiveness of the TRS government in Telangana which had promised school fee regulation both in Assembly and GHMC elections but has failed to keep up its promise. Taking cue from AP, We hope that the TRS Govt will wake up to its promise at least now".