Kolkata: The state Education department will introduce a Bill in the state legislative Assembly for regulating the fee structure in private schools across Bengal.
“A large number of private schools in the state affiliated to the Central boards like the CBSE and ICSE impart quality education and students who pass out from these schools perform very well. But arbitrary increases in fees by these schools create problems for the middle class parents. There are also complaints related to corporal punishment and other irregularities too. We feel that there should be some sort of regulation in the fee structure. So, we have prepared a draft in this regard and have sent it to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her approval. We are hopeful of tabling a Bill in the Assembly soon,” said state Education minister Bratya Basu, during the question answer session in the state Assembly on Tuesday.
Basu appealed to the BJP legislators to see to it that the Bill after getting passed in the Assembly gets the final nod of the Governor in quick time.
Basu referred to the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission set up in the year 2017 that has been instrumental in addressing issues of huge bills and other irregularities associated with a section of private hospitals to a reasonable extent and said that the Education Commission that will be constituted will function similar in nature as the Health Commission.
Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee thanked Basu for taking initiative in introducing a Bill to put a leash in the fee hike by private schools.
The minister further informed the state Assembly that several seats in the state-aided colleges across Bengal have remained vacant this year after the admission was held online through a centralised online portal.
As per figures of the state Education department out of 948787 seats, 405364 seats have been filled up.
The colleges were allowed to admit students on their own after the centralised portal which has contributed in admission of another 4000- 5000 students.
Basu said that the state is working on rationalisation of seats in the colleges to address this issue.