MARGAO, MARCH 26
Agitated parents of unaided recognized schools from all over Goa have opposed the hefty fee hike by the educational institutions and have urged the director of Education not to accord approval to any hike till a report is prepared by a government constituted committee and accounts of these schools examined by auditors.
At an impressive meeting held at the BPS club here, on Thursday evening, anxious parents questioned the logic behind the decision by managements to effect a fee hike, terming the hike as unacceptable
A resolution was unanimously adopted at the meeting demanding transparency and justification on the part of the private unaided recognized schools for a hike in fees.
It was decided to constitute a core committee to pursue the demands and to chalk out a future course of action in support of the demands.
The meeting demanded that the government prescribe the authority to inspect and audit the account statements of the recognized unaided schools in Goa, mandatory under the Goa School Education Act, 1984.
Parents called for constituting a committee of experts in financial matters and prepare a report whether with the existing fee structure, the Sixth Pay Commission scale salaries can be paid in these schools. The parents claimed there is ample evidence from audited reports filed by some of these schools that excess funds running into lakhs of rupees as tuition fee collected by these schools has been transferred to accounts such as construction fund and building funds in violation of Section 10 sub-section 6(b) of the Goa School Education Act, 1984
They further called for the examination of the accounts of the last five years of all recognized unaided schools in Goa by auditors and inspection officers authorized by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India as per rule 139 of the Goa School Education, Rules 1986.
A parent informed that the school managements can very well pay the tuition fees to the teachers as per the sixth pay commission without effecting any fee hike. Sadly, he said the managements are diverting the tuition fees to the construction fund in violation of rules.
Admitting that teachers in these schools are being exploited by managements, parents clarified that these teachers can be paid as per the Sixth Pay recommendations with the present fee structure.
