In a significant move aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in private school fee structures, the Maharashtra government is preparing to amend the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011. The planned amendment comes in response to persistent appeals by parent associations concerned over arbitrary and unaffordable fee hikes in private institutions.
Key Reform: Individual Complaints Allowed
One of the most notable changes in the proposed amendment is the shift from requiring a group of 25% of parents to initiate a fee-related complaint to allowing individual parents to directly raise concerns with the District Fee Regulatory Committee (DFRC). These complaints will undergo preliminary verification by a local-level committee before advancing to the DFRC. This measure is expected to streamline the redressal process and make it more accessible for parents.
Inspired by the Gujarat Model
The amendment is also modeled after Gujarat’s fee regulation framework, which categorizes schools and their fee structures based on geographical areas and local operating costs. This model has been hailed as a more equitable system and has long been sought after by parent advocacy groups in Maharashtra.
“This is a good initiative by the Maharashtra government. We have been consistently urging the state to follow Gujarat’s example. Empowering individual parents is a step in the right direction,”
— Anubha Shrivastava Sahai, President, India Wide Parents Association
Broader Scope and Greater Accountability
Alongside addressing school fee structures, the government is also looking to bring coaching classes under regulatory control, ensuring they too follow transparent financial practices. Additionally, the amendment seeks to increase transparency in the financial disclosures of educational institutions, a concern raised by many stakeholders in recent years.
The school education department of the Maharashtra government has confirmed that a draft proposal is currently under review, with the goal of making the entire fee regulation process more responsive to parental concerns and equitable across the board.
If implemented, these changes could mark a significant turning point in how school fees are governed in Maharashtra, strengthening the voice of individual parents and ensuring educational institutions are held to higher standards of accountability.
