There is a one movement that seems to reflect ‘united in colours’ across the nation that is – fight against the hike in school fees. The issue of recent increase in the tuition fees by some private and unaided schools has become such a major issue, many parents are now out on the streets demanding a legislation to put controls on the fee hikes in private schools.

The fee hike problem goes back to a couple of months when a few private schools, defying the government’s orders, raised their fees abruptly to the shock of many middle-class parents. The schools have been demanding up to 50 per cent tuition fee hike in order to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations on teachers’ salaries and arrears. Since then, the arbitrary fee hike by several private schools just ahead of the elections has been severely criticised by most sections of the population. Affected parents have been protesting against the hike for over a month now but their intensity and frequency grew with the opening of the schools and beginning of the new academic year.

It is not just in Andhra Pradesh, particularly, in the state capital of Hyderabad, when a few NGOs and parents came out on the streets demanding the government to impose restrictions on increase on the fee hikes. Even in the national capital, the movement turned serious forcing the Delhi government to issue show-cause notices to 12 unaided public schools for arbitrarily raising fees. “Keeping in view reported instances of arbitrary decisions by certain schools, the Directorate of Education issued show cause notices to 12 such schools,” said in an official statement.

Many parents, with the active help of a few NGOs, came together to take their fight to logical end. They demanded the private schools, where their children were currently studying to stop collecting the hiked fee till the government enacts necessary laws. They also formed ad hoc committees to continue their fight against fee hikes.

The ad hoc put in their demands including creating an autonomous body of teachers, parents and educationists which would evolve the category of fee structure after considering education standards, infrastructure, student-teacher ratio and families’ financial constraints. The committee also asked for pay scales for teachers in private schools. They called for immediate and comprehensive legislation to prevent the commercialisation of education. “The committees to be formed by the government to look into the matter of fee hike must include parents and even student organisation representatives,” a member of political party, who is taking part in the fight against hike in school fees, said.

Some parents are critical about the lackadaisical attitude of the state government on such a key area, school education.  “Everyone talks about the need for world-class roads, airports and universities. What about world-class schools?” head of a NGO organization remarked. He said that the government must pay the high fees in private schools because it had failed to provide decent public education. “Our fight is not just against the private school managements, but also against the government, since the government believes that education is not its responsibility,” he said.

There are a few others, who are looking at the positives of the entire issue. The hike in school fee may result in some sections of the people to take their wards to the government-run schools, which are losing public support due to falling standards. “The decision to hike in school fees may prove to be a blessing in disguise for government schools,” said an activist of a NGO organization. “The decision of some private schools to hike the fee has turned the tide in favour of the government schools. This is at least the case some people of the low income groups, particularly in slums” he added.

Since education is free in the government schools many parents are opting this out of compulsion despite the falling standards in these schools. But the good turnout for admissions is bringing cheer to authorities. The steep hike in fee has forced a few parents to admit their children in government-run schools. “My husband is an auto driver. We can’t afford  to pay huge fee demanded by the private schools,” said a parent.

Many a parent  have admitted their children in private schools, expecting a better education standards for their wards. But with the private schools increasing the fees every year, they are left with no alternative but turn to government schools. However, parents who can afford the increase are still preferring the private school education.

But, the trend is changing with the implementation of English as a medium of teaching on an experiment basis in some government schools. The introduction of English medium from Class I to V from this year is proving to be a big attraction for many parents. In 250 selected schools English medium is being introduced while in 133 high schools English medium is already available for classes VI to VII.  There is a craze among many sections of the people to study their wards in an English medium, this is so even in the poor and illiterate. “With the introduction of English medium schools, now even the economically backward parents can afford to study their children in the English medium right from class I at no cost,” said Hyderabad Collector Navin Mittal.

“The response to introduction of English medium in government schools is showing an encouraging trend,” admitted an official in school education department. Apart from the fee hike, with the state government also improving  the  standards in the government-run schools like infrastructure, new class rooms and adding other basic facilities, the preference for government schools is increasing. State government authorities are hoping that the number will rise in the coming days.