The state government has decided to strictly implement the provision for school fees to be deposited in a single dedicated bank account, rather than being paid in cash. The FRC has mandated that all school expenses including the salaries of schoolteachers must be paid out only from this account.
Officials said that according to the Fee Regulation Act, it was necessary for the school to open a dedicated account and ask parents of students to deposit fees in that account. Schools were also asked to ensure that all expenses were paid from this account. Officials said many schools were still using different accounts for receiving fees and expenditure.
Officials, however, said they were earlier uncertain as to who was to implement the mandate and whether it was within the purview of the Fee Regulation Committee (FRC) to enforce the single-account rule, but now it is clear that it is the duty of the state government. FRC officials said several schools were giving discounts to children of teaching and non-teaching staff and the FRC has made it clear that these students will have to pay their fees into the dedicated account, and the school can reimburse money to staff member concerned.
A school on SP Ring Road has asked its teachers to pay their children’s fees from their own accounts.
The school has made it clear that the discounted amount will be reimbursed to the teacher which will be shown as expenditure in the school account.An officer further said that the Supreme Court has ruled that charges for nonacademic activities cannot be thrust upon students by schools. The apex court said that fees for transportation, sports and other activities that do not form part of studies are strictly optional and cannot be a mandatory part of the fee package.
However, said the FRC official, many schools were not following the ruling and were forcing students to pay for extra services.
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