Gujarat Govt Regulates Private School Fees, Strengthens RTE Support

Gandhinagar : The Gujarat government has reinforced its commitment to ensuring fair fee structures in private schools by strengthening the Fee Regulation Committee (FRC) under the Gujarat Self-Financed School Fees Act 2018. Education Minister Dr. Kuber Dindor, responding to a question in the Legislative Assembly, stated that private schools must set fees in accordance with FRC guidelines. Schools submit their proposed fee structures to the committee, which scrutinizes them before approval, rejection, or modification.

Dr. Dindor emphasized that the FRC does not approve fees for extracurricular activities such as transport, boarding, and horse riding. The financial documents submitted by schools undergo rigorous examination by chartered accountants, ensuring that only valid expenses are considered. To ensure efficiency, the state has established four zonal FRC committees: Ahmedabad (covering eight districts), Vadodara (seven districts), Rajkot (eleven districts), and Surat (seven districts). Each zonal committee is headed by a retired district judge and includes experts such as a chartered accountant, a recognized civil engineer, a representative from a self-reliant organization, an educationist, and a district education officer.

In addition to the zonal committees, a state-level FRC Committee, chaired by a retired High Court judge, has been formed. This committee includes the Education Secretary, Finance Secretary, Director of Primary Education, and other key officials. If a school or individual is dissatisfied with the committee’s decision, they have the right to appeal to the High Court.

Highlighting the effectiveness of FRC regulations, Dr. Dindor cited the case of Ahmedabad’s Alpha International School. The institution had initially proposed a fee of ₹1.40 lakh for standards 1 to 3, which the FRC significantly reduced to ₹36,000. The revised fees for higher classes were also lowered, with standard 4 to 6 fixed at ₹41,000, standard 7 to 8 at ₹42,000, and standard 9 to 10 at ₹45,000.

Dr. Dindor also shared details about the Right to Education (RTE) Act implementation in Gujarat, which mandates that 25% of seats in private schools be reserved for children from economically weaker sections. Parents with an annual income of up to ₹1.50 lakh in urban areas and ₹1.20 lakh in rural areas can apply for RTE admissions through an online portal.

For the academic year 2023-24, a total of 1,451 students were admitted to 441 schools in Junagadh district, 796 students to 158 schools in Vadodara district, and 3,726 students to 331 schools in Vadodara city under the RTE quota. In the academic year 2024-25, 694 students secured admission in 426 schools in Junagadh, 831 students in 164 schools in Vadodara district, and 2,735 students in 336 schools in Vadodara city.

The Gujarat government has taken further steps to support RTE students financially. Since 2015-16, Gujarat has been the first state in India to directly transfer ₹3,000 per student to their bank accounts for books, uniforms, and school bags. This amount was increased in 2022-23, and currently, ₹13,675 per student is deposited directly into the accounts of schools for RTE admissions.