School fees..? Hanging..? Has the burden of fees in private educational institutions become a curse for parents..? Demand to bring a special law to regulate fees Hyderabad, June 15: Many parents in Telangana are expressing their concern that the burden of fees in private and corporate schools is having a severe impact on middle-class families. They say that it has become difficult to meet other family needs as 30 to 40 percent of the family income has to be spent just on children’s education. While some parents are having to take loans in the hope of providing quality education to their children, others are saying that they are spending their savings. There is also concern that some families are selling assets for their children’s education. Although corporate schools are increasing fees every year, there is criticism that parents are facing serious difficulties due to the lack of an effective control system over them. Social groups are demanding that education should not become a business and that every child should have access to education as a fundamental right. In this context, a social activist staged an innovative protest in front of the Telangana Education Department office on Monday. “School fees..? Hanging..?” They tried to bring the concerns of parents to the attention of the government by holding a notice board and a noose. It is noteworthy that this protest was held on the first day of the reopening of schools. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “This is not a problem of one person. It is the concern of lakhs of parents across the state. The government should immediately bring a special law to stop the exploitation of fees. Strict controls should be imposed on the increase in fees of private schools.” He also demanded that a campaign be launched on social media in the form of special reels and videos to create awareness among the youth on this issue. He made it clear that there should be a discussion in the society and that their struggle will continue until the government responds. Public organizations are demanding that the government take immediate steps to reduce the financial burden of parents and take policy decisions to make education accessible to all. The movements for fee control are gaining strength with the slogan “Right to education… not business”.
